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November 28, 2021 @ 4:34pm
KUALA LUMPUR: Persatuan pengguna di negara ini menegaskan belum menyerah kalah dalam perjuangan mereka, meskipun pengguna semakin dibebani isu seperti kenaikan harga barang tanpa penyelesaian tuntas hingga kini.

Setiausaha Persatuan Pengguna Kedah (CAKE), Mohamad Yusrizal Yusoff, berkata pihaknya tidak pernah 'lesu' meneruskan usaha mereka demi kepentingan rakyat walaupun memikul tanggungjawab itu secara tanpa gaji.

Beliau berkata, kewujudan CAKE serta persatuan pengguna lain bukan untuk 'menghiasi' dada akhbar semata-mata, sebaliknya inisiatif demi kebajikan dan kesejahteraan rakyat.

Malah, katanya, CAKE sudah banyak kali membongkarkan isu kenaikan harga barang untuk perhatian pihak berkuasa supaya tindakan dapat diambil.
"Kami melakukan pemantauan harga dan bukan sekadar membuat kenyataan media saja. Kami melakukan semua usaha ini secara sukarela tanpa gaji.

"Selain itu, kami juga ada membuat memorandum resolusi yang kemudian dihantar kepada kerajaan bagi membantu mengekang kenaikan harga barang.
"Itu antara tindakan diusahakan sebagai pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) pengguna sebab kami tiada kuasa," katanya kepada BH.

Sehubungan itu, Mohamad Yusrizal mengesyorkan supaya lebih banyak NGO pengguna peringkat negeri dibabitkan sama dalam sebarang mesyuarat tindakan berkaitan, terutama pada peringkat pusat.

Beliau mendakwa, NGO peringkat negeri hanya terbabit dalam mesyuarat pengguna negeri bawah Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna (KPDNHEP), namun tidak 'diundang' ke mesyuarat pelan tindakan peringkat pusat.

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November 27, 2021 9:30 AM
PETALING JAYA: A consumer activist has called for an increase in the local production of food and an end to the approval of special permits (AP) for the import of food items.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) president Marimuthu Nadason told FMT he was concerned over the rising prices of imported food and the country’s heavy dependence on food from other countries.

“It is impossible for us to control the price of food produced overseas,” he said.

He questioned the need to issue APs for food imports and said the practice had put local producers at a disadvantage because they were forced to lower their prices to compete in the free market.

APs are issued for mangoes, coconuts, papayas, some vegetables, meat and nine different types of seafood.
Marimuthu said Malaysia had ample amount of land to cultivate to increase food production, noting that 103,563 hectares in Peninsula Malaysia and Labuan had been identified as idle.

Last year the country imported RM55.4 billion worth of food, up from RM51.46 billion in 2019. So far, the figure for 2021 is RM36.09 billion.

Yesterday, the statistics department announced an increase in the consumer price index by 2.9% year-on-year to 123.7 in October 2021 against 120.2 in the same month last year.

It attributed this to rising fuel prices and the discontinuation of electricity discounts in September 2021.

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Federation of Malaysians Consumers Associations17 November 2021
SHAH ALAM - Gabungan Persatuan-persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (Fomca) mengajak rakyat Malaysia untuk mengurangkan pengambilan gula sempena Hari Diabetes Sedunia yang disambut pada 14 November setiap tahun.

Tema sambutan Hari Diabetes Sedunia pada tahun ini ialah 'Akses Kepada Penjagaan Diabetes: Jika Bukan Sekarang, Bila Lagi?'
Timbalan Setiausaha Agung Fomca, Nur Asyikin Aminuddin berkata, tanggungjawab terhadap penjagaan diabetes bukan sahaja bergantung kepada pihak hospital tetapi diri sendiri.

Menurutnya, hasil tinjauan pihak Kesihatan & Morbiditi Kebangsaan (NHMS) pada tahun 2019 mendapati satu daripada lima orang yang berumur 18 tahun ke atas menghidap diabetes.

Lebih mengejutkan, katanya, apabila hampir separuh daripada responden tersebut tidak menyedari bahawa mereka menghidap penyakit itu.

“Perkara ini perlu dipandang serius oleh semua lapisan masyarakat kerana tidak mustahil jika kita juga penghidap penyakit diabetes dalam diam,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan pada Selasa.

Nur Asyikin berkata, rakyat Malaysia juga perlu sama-sama bertanggungjawab menjaga aspek-aspek keselamatan makanan di sepanjang rantaian makanan baik pihak penternak, petani, pengilang, pengimport, pengedar, peruncit, peniaga restoran, gerai makanan dan pengguna supaya kita semua boleh menikmati makanan yang sihat dan selamat.

“Makanan yang sihat dan selamat saling berkaitan dengan kesihatan diri manusia,” ujarnya.

Artikel Penuh : https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/172957/Fomca-ajak-rakyat-Malaysia-kurangkan-pengambilan-gula
© 2018 Hakcipta Terpelihara Kumpulan Karangkraf

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November 12, 2021 @ 9:10am
COVID-19 booster shots should be made available on a walk-in basis for eligible groups as the country enters the endemic phase and international borders are set to reopen to foreign travellers.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations president Datuk Dr Marimuthu Nadason said such an option should be offered alongside the MySejahtera appointments for frontliners, those with comorbidities and individuals above 40 years' old.

"Officers should be stationed at facilities where the shots are being administered, so that those who do not fall under these categories are denied entry, or if their three-or six-month immunity (coverage) after second Sinovac or Pfizer shots (respectively) have yet to lapse."

"When people are rejected, they must also be given an explanation in the interest of accountability," he told the New Straits Times.
He said too many people had died due to a dearth in vaccines and slow distribution of jabs, and a similar situation could happen due to the issues with booster shots.

This, he said, was especially crucial for the 9.3 million Sinovac recipients, as studies indicated that the immunity coverage for those who received the vaccine waned significantly after three months.

"There needs to be transparency on who is getting the shots, their ages and so on, as there have been anecdotal reports that those in their 30s who appear healthy are getting booster shots."

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FOTO HIASANNovember 12, 2021 @ 7:00am
Kuala Lumpur: Sebanyak 8,162 kes penipuan e-dagang dengan kerugian berjumlah RM57.73 juta dilaporkan di seluruh negara sepanjang tahun ini hingga 31 Oktober lalu.

Pegawai Penyiasat (Pelaburan Bersindiket atau Lain-lain Jenayah) Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah dan Komersial (JSJK) Bukit Aman Asisten Komisioner Mohd Sa'adon Sabirin berkata, trend penipuan e-dagang dilaporkan terus meningkat jika dibandingkan pada 2018 dengan 3,318 kes membabitkan kerugian berjumlah RM22.39 juta.

"Keadaan bertambah teruk pada 2020 apabila pandemik Covid-19 melanda yang mana 5,848 kes penipuan e-dagang dilaporkan apabila lebih ramai orang membeli dalam talian.

"Statistik ini adalah melibatkan mereka yang ditipu dan membuat laporan namun saya percaya masih ada tidak membuat laporan polis," katanya pada sesi webinar Penipuan e-dagang: Barang Hilang, Duit Melayang anjuran Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), malam kelmarin.

Mohd Sa'adon berkata, jumlah keseluruhan kerugian dicatatkan bagi penipuan e-dagang untuk tempoh 2018 hingga Oktober lalu adalah bernilai RM149 juta.

Beliau berkata, rakyat Malaysia terdedah kepada penipuan e-dagang berikutan peningkatan trend pembelian dalam talian secara tidak langsung boleh menjadi mangsa penipuan jika tidak berhati-hati ketika membuat urusan jual beli.

Pada masa sama, beliau meminta agar mangsa penipuan e-dagang untuk membuat laporan polis bagi membolehkan maklumat dan data berkaitan scammer dikumpul untuk tindakan selanjutnya.

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November 6, 2021 @ 4:10pm
KUALA LUMPUR: Consumers should check the prices of wet and dry foods at restaurants or eating outlets carefully, including estimating the total price before the purchase, said Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca).

Its deputy president Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman said consumers could always report to the relevant authorities if they find the charges unreasonable.

He said price manipulation was not something new, particularly with wet goods, as the prices were often displayed in grammes instead of kilogrammes.

"It's a norm that we eat first and pay later, so much so that many people do not look at the price and often think that the price will not be much different at the restaurant that they regularly go.

"The issue of excessive charges should be a reminder for consumers to always get the price before they start their meals because the operators have played their part in displaying the prices, although the price maybe confusing as it is stated in gms instead of kgs," he told BH today.

Langkawi Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs department had initiated an investigation under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 after a group of tourists took to the social media complaining they paid RM1,196 for a sea bass at a restaurant in Langkawi.

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September 28, 2021 @ 3:13pm
KUALA LUMPUR: Kerajaan disaran menetapkan kontrak bersama pengeluar atau penternak ayam sebagai antara langkah penyelesaian mengawal mekanisme harga yang dilihat turun naik secara bermusim setiap tahun.

Pada masa sama, Timbalan Presiden Gabungan Persatuan-Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (FOMCA), Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman, berkata katanya, subsidi yang disediakan perlu diteruskan.

"Isu kenaikan harga ayam di pasaran bukan perkara asing, malah kerap dipersoalkan pengguna hingga menjadikannya seolah-olah trend bermusim.

"Pelbagai langkah boleh diambil pihak berkaitan seperti menetapkan harga ayam dalam tempoh tertentu termasuk kontrak menetapkan harga bahan dedak seperti jagung dan kacang soya, di samping mengadakan perjanjian bersama penternak serta peladang," katanya kepada BH, hari ini.

Beliau mengulas kenyataan berhubung kesediaan pihak industri menurunkan harga ayam di peringkat pengeluar atau peladang bagi membolehkan pengguna mendapatkan bekalan bahan makanan itu dengan harga berpatutan.

Mohd Yusof berkata, pelaksanaan cadangan Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna (KPDNHEP) serta Kementerian Pertanian dan Industri Makanan akan (MAFI) memanfaatkan semua pihak.

"Cadangan termasuk pemberian kemudahan pinjaman mudah bagi membantu industri mengekalkan jumlah pengeluaran ayam mencukupi perlu disegerakan, termasuk memastikan subsidi harga komponen makanan ayam yang diimport," katanya.

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September 25, 2021 @ 5:22pm
KUALA LUMPUR: Gabungan Persatuan-Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (FOMCA) optimis sektor pengangkutan bas ekspres akan pulih kembali memandangkan ia antara satu keperluan bagi mereka yang tidak mempunyai pengangkutan.

Timbalan Presiden FOMCA, Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman, berkata ketika ini, perkhidmatan itu terhenti berikutan aktiviti rentas negeri belum dibenarkan dan kebanyakan orang masih lagi bekerja dari rumah.

Keadaan itu, katanya, menyebabkan keperluan menggunakan pengangkutan itu dianggap 'beku' seketika sebelum ia kembali rancak apabila semuanya kembali beransur pulih.

"Saya yakin, apabila semua sektor ekonomi dan rentas negeri mula dibenarkan, secara automatik, pengangkutan ekspres ini akan turut pulih.
"Contohnya seperti Langkawi, apabila mula dibuka sebagai gelembung pelancongan, sektor pengangkutan udara juga secara perlahan-lahan mula menerima tempahan pengguna," katanya kepada BH.

BH hari ini melaporkan mengenai perkhidmatan bas di negara ini yang dikhuatiri lumpuh sekurang-kurangnya dalam tempoh dua tahun kesan daripada pandemik COVID-19 dan pelaksanaan larangan rentas negeri.

Mohd Yusof berkata, jika pengangkutan bas ekspres lumpuh, ia sudah tentu akan menyukarkan pengguna lebih-lebih lagi mereka yang memerlukan perkhidmatan itu untuk perjalanan jarak jauh.

"Jika pengguna bergantung kepada e-hailing, tambangnya mahal. Jadi, pengangkutan bas ekspres adalah jalan penyelesaiannya.

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26 Sep 2021 10:00AM
President says competition among agencies means better deals for customers
KUALA LUMPUR – Consumers will be the ones at a loss if the government takes up the call by budget hoteliers to regulate online travel booking platforms.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers’ Associations (Fomca) president Datuk Marimuthu Nadason said online travel agencies (OTAs) now give consumers the benefit of choice, unlike in the past.

Competition among the various platforms means cheaper bookings for hotel rooms, as rival companies attempt to outdo one another.

Citing an example, Marimuthu said before the existence of OTAs, directly booking a single night’s stay at a five-star hotel could cost around RM600.

“But with these online platforms, you see that sometimes, there are promotions of up to 50% off the original rate,” he told The Vibes.

“Through these agencies, it’s easier to check if prices are lower during non-peak periods like weekdays,” he said, adding that consumers also have the option of comparing the prices offered by the different service providers.

He was responding to a proposal from the Malaysia Budget and Business Hotel Association for the government to regulate OTAs on the grounds that these booking agencies are eating into their profits.

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Wednesday, 22 Sep 2021
THIS year alone, the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) has so far received approximately 70 complaints about telephone calls to public and private organisations going unanswered.

Its senior manager Baskaran Sithamparam said this made many callers frustrated and even angry.

As many are working from home, consumers are finding it hard to contact organisations to address their problems.

In his attempts to assist complainants, Baskaran said he too was unsuccessful when calling one organisation.

“This organisation had three phone lines, yet no one picked up,” he said.
A majority of the complaints were levelled at the private sector, as consumers wanted to make appointments and enquire about various matters.

Though some organisations have chatbots in place, consumers say not all issues can be answered by automated responses.

“Some issues can only be solved when a service consultant is present at the other end of the line.

“So, organisations must make this service available.

“If not, at least provide the email address of a person who can handle the issue,” said Baskaran.
Sales and leadership consultant Valentino Lee said nothing damages an organisation’s reputation faster than an unanswered phone call.