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PETALING JAYA: An economist has urged Putrajaya and consumers to do more to tackle the rising prices of essential goods, amid complaints that basic food items like eggs have increased in cost since the general election last year.Barjoyai Bardai from Universiti Tun Abdul Razak said the rising prices were largely tied to issues of supply and demand, with FMT’s checks of data from a leading hypermarket showing that some essentials have gone up in cost.Between the May 9 polls and Feb 18, the price of grade C eggs went up by 36.6% per tray from RM9 to RM12.30.During the same period, the price of whole chickens went up 10.7% from RM7 per kg to RM7.75. Long beans increased by 26.3% from RM5.46 to RM6.90 per bundle, dipping to RM3.05 in late August before going up again. The price of Indian mackerel and sotong putih, meanwhile, increased by just over 2%.Some goods, like round spinach, remain unchanged in price, while others went down, like frozen buffalo slice which slid 7.1% from RM12.51 to RM11.61.
Barjoyai said when it comes to essential goods, especially eggs and chicken, the problem is that a few producers control the market.“In the case of long beans, it is a vegetable with a lower yield than spinach, so it is more prone to supply and demand factors,” he added.Such shifts in price could see an adult spending at least RM300 a month on food, he said.He suggested that the government intervene by issuing more import permits for food items when prices of certain goods go up. This, he said, would boost supply and help bring prices down.He gave the example of tapioca in Thailand, which he said was easily five times cheaper than it is in Malaysia.“Even at the pasar tani, tapioca sells for around RM1 per kg while in Thailand, it can be as low as 20 sen per kg.”Acknowledging that the government might want to protect local producers by limiting imports, he cautioned however that this was only a short-term measure to help industry players when starting out.
Read more: Govt should tackle rising cost of food items, but so can consumers, economist says
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JOHOR BAHRU, 6 Mac (Bernama) -- Seruan mewajibkan pengambilan vaksin imunisasi bagi membendung penularan penyakit berjangkit semakin kuat kedengaran ekoran beberapa lagi kes difteria direkodkan di negeri ini.Menerusi tinjauan Bernama, rata-rata ibubapa menyatakan kebimbangan mereka mengenai peningkatan gerakan anti vaksin ini sekaligus menyeru agar kerajaan meneruskan usaha untuk mewajibkan vaksin imunisasi itu.S. Sasidaran, 35, berkata dia gagal memahami rasional golongan anti-vaksin yang enggan menuruti saranan suntikan vaksin di bawah Program Imunisasi Kebangsaan walaupun jelas program tersebut bermatlamat untuk membendung penularan penyakit berjangkit."Saya setuju sekiranya dasar mewajibkan pengambilan vaksin diperkenalkan kerana ia bertujuan untuk mencegah penyakit berjangkit dari merebak."Sudah tentu saya bimbangkan keselamatan anak saya. Saya tak mahu dia menjadi mangsa kepada kelalaian ibu-bapa lain," kata bapa kepada seorang anak itu kepada Bernama, ketika ditemui, baru-baru ini.
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KOTA TINGGI, 6 Mac (Bernama) -- Semua pengusaha industri pelancongan disaran menyediakan latihan keselamatan dan pelan kecemasan komprehensif untuk menyelamatkan kakitangan, pelancong dan orang ramai jika berlaku kemalangan di premis mereka.Pengerusi Institut Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan Negara (NIOSH) Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye berkata setiap kakitangan dalam industri pelancongan perlu diberikan latihan mencukupi agar mereka tahu cara-cara mengenalpasti risiko dan cara menanganinya berdasarkan konsep “HIRARC” (Pengenalpastian Bahaya, Penaksiran Risiko dan Kawalan Risiko).“Majikan perlu melaksanakan latihan keselamatan sebagai sebahagian daripada rancangan pengurusan keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan (KKP) agar semua kakitangan bersedia menghadapi sebarang jenis kecemasan,” katanya ketika berucap merasmikan Seminar dan Dialog Pemerkasaan Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan di Sektor Pelancongan Johor di sini, hari ini.
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PASIR MAS: The dry spell that hit Kelantan in the past two weeks has caused the water level in Sungai Golok to drop to 3.58m, way below its normal level of 5m.A check by Bernama in Rantau Panjang found that sandbanks could be seen in the middle of Sungai Golok which posed challenges to boat operators ferrying passengers from both sides of the river.In Kampung Jeram Perdah near here, the dry spell turned the river into a “ditch” with only a 4m distance between Malaysia and Thailand.As a result, residents living nearby could cross to the neighbouring country on foot by stepping on the rocks in the riverbed.One of the boat operators, Din Mamat, 50, said they had to be more careful in navigating their boats for fear of hitting timber, sand and rocks in shallow water.He said there were incidents where boats caught in the sand suffered engine damage.
“However, the dry spell also attracted the attention of local residents, especially children from both sides of the river, to bathe in the shallow water in the evening.“If the dry spell continues, I expect there will be another water festival along the river similar to a few years ago when many came to play and picnic and some traders even set up stalls selling stuff,” he said yesterday.A resident of Kampung Jeram Perdah, Ismail Awang, 60, said the dry spell had also caused boat operators’ business to slow as people could now cross the border on foot.“Besides, this area is also known to be the focus of fishing activity but as the water level continues to drop, it may soon pose challenges for the fishermen fishing here,” he said.The Kelantan Department of Irrigation and Drainage’s portal showed that apart from Sungai Golok, the water level of Sungai Kelantan in Kusial, Tanah Merah, has dropped to 7.30m, below its normal level of 10m.
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PETALING JAYA: From “interviews” in coffeeshops to being persuaded to work in war-torn countries with lucrative salaries, Malaysians are being increasingly conned into travelling to work overseas, only to run into trouble.This has prompted the Labour Department to advise those wishing to work overseas to only use the services of licensed private recruitment companies.Seeking the services of licensed private job agencies under the Labour Department as provided in the Private Employment Agencies Act (1981) would help one avoid being conned or exploited by unscrupulous agents or employers overseas, it said.“There’s a possibility that high salaries offered has become a pull factor in enticing Malaysians to work overseas.The Labour Department, which is under the Human Resources Ministry, was responding to queries about the increasing media reports highlighting Malaysians being conned in overseas jobs.
While the Labour Department said it did not have any records on the numbers of overseas job scam cases affecting Malaysians, it encourages those with information on such cases to come forward.“We have not received reports on job scams. However, victims can file a report with the Labour Department, including in Sabah and Sarawak for any job scams issues so that we can act accordingly,” it said.MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong said many of the job scam victims he encountered were enticed to work in African or Middle Eastern countries.“Many of these countries are war-torn and so these ‘employment agents’ would tell the victims there is a lot of construction work to rebuild the country.“These victims are mostly semi-skilled or unskilled workers who are attracted to the salaries which are supposedly from RM6,000 to RM10,000 a month,” he said.However, he said, these victims were then cheated out of their salaries and left with little to no protection in a foreign country.
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SIAPA sangka 35 tahun lalu idea yang dicetuskan oleh Dr. Mohamed Awang Lah yang pada ketika itu merupakan ahli akademik di Fakulti Kejuruteraan Universiti Malaya untuk menghubungkan Malaysia dengan dunia luar menerusi jaringan internet berjaya mengubah landskap komunikasi negara.Usaha mencipta dimensi baharu komunikasi itu diteruskan lagi olehnya pada tahun 1991 melalui penubuhan Jaring Communications Sdn. Bhd. (Jaring) yang merupakan penyedia pertama perkhidmatan internet sehingga melayakkan beliau diiktiraf sebagai Bapa Internet Malaysia.Selepas tiga dekad berlalu, bermula dengan penubuhan Jaring kini rakyat mampu mengecapi pelbagai kemajuan dan perkembangan teknologi internet hingga membolehkan semua perkara dapat dilakukan di hujung jari.Data yang dikeluarkan Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (SKMM) mendedahkan, jumlah pelayar internet di Malaysia meningkat sebanyak 880 peratus daripada 2.5 juta pengguna pada tahun 2006 kepada 24.5 juta pada 2017.Lebih memeranjatkan, rakyat Malaysia berusia bawah 18 tahun merangkumi sebanyak 5.8 peratus atau kira-kira 1.8 juta daripada pengguna internet di negara ini.
Bagaimanapun, kemajuan internet dilihat gagal membawa sinar kemajuan berpanjangan. Sebaliknya, ia diibaratkan seperti pisau bermata dua ekoran penggunaannya mampu memberikan manfaat dan impak negatif kepada pengguna.Kegilaan melayari internet dalam kalangan belia berusia antara 20 hingga 49 tahun berada pada tahap membimbangkan apabila 76.1 peratus daripada mereka menghabiskan masa sekurang-kurangnya empat jam sehari bagi melayari laman sosial.Pakar Psikologi Universiti Malaya, Prof. Madya Dr. Mariani Mohd. Nor menjelaskan, ketagihan internet boleh didefinisikan sebagai kecenderungan untuk melakukan perkara sama setiap hari bagi mendapatkan keseronokan dan kepuasan berpanjangan.Menurutnya, individu mengalami ketagihan internet turut berdepan sindrom seperti mudah terpengaruh dengan capaian maklumat, kerap membuang masa dan lebih gemar bersosial di laman media sosial berbanding alam realiti.
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KUANTAN: Kilang vaksin halal pertama di negara ini bakal dibina di Negeri Sembilan tidak lama lagi bagi menjadikan Malaysia sebagai antara negara pengeluar vaksin utama dunia.Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Fuziah Salleh, berkata walaupun pembinaan kilang itu akan mengambil masa untuk disiapkan, ia adalah langkah terbaik boleh dilakukan kerajaan untuk meningkatkan keyakinan ibu bapa terhadap vaksin yang dikeluarkan serta diberikan kepada anak-anak mereka.“Apabila siap dan beroperasi kelak, sudah pasti ia dapat meningkatkan pengeluaran vaksin untuk kegunaan dalam negara dan boleh meletakkan nama Malaysia di pentasantarabangsa sebagai antara negara pengeluar vaksin yang diyakini.“Kita harap selepas ini tidak timbul lagi isu ibu bapa yang enggan membenarkan anak mereka disuntik dengan vaksin kerana vaksin dihasilkan di kilang berkenaan adalah halal dan berkualiti,” katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian kepada media selepas merasmikan Progam Larian Sepat Run Fresh and Fun di Pantai Sepat di sini, hari ini.Semalam, Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) memaklumkan pihaknya akan terbabit secara langsung dalam menentukan dan memutuskan fatwa berkaitan suntikan vaksin dan imunisasi bagi kanak-kanak yang menjadi isu hangat di kalangan ibu bapa.Isnin lalu, media turut melaporkan beberapa pihak termasuk Persatuan Doktor Islam Malaysia dan I Medik Malaysia menyarankan langkah itu dilaksana bagi melindungi kesihatan kanak-kanak daripada penyakit yang boleh dicegah seperti difteria dan campak.Ini berikutan kes seorang kanak-kanak berusia dua tahun di Johor yang disahkan tidak pernah menerima suntikan vaksin difteria meninggal dunia minggu lalu akibat penyakit itu.
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PASIR PUTEH 6 Mac – Kira-kira 30 petani yang mengusahakan padi di Bendang Wakaf Raja dan Bukit Yong, di sini bakal berdepan dengan kerugian besar apabila lebih 46 hektar tanaman mereka yang sedang berbuah menghadapi masalah kekurangan bekalan air.Seorang petani, Mat Taib Mat Hussin, 56, berkata, kawasan bendang itu tidak menerima bekalan air sejak lebih dua minggu lalu menyebabkan keadaan sawah semakin kering-kontang.Menurutnya, ketiadaan bekalan air menyebabkan tumbesaran padi terencat dan sering diserang penyakit yang sukar dikawal dan dalam masa sama sukar untuk membuat aktiviti meracun.“Air dalam parit di sekitar sawah keseluruhannya sudah kering berikutan kemarau. Kalau mengikut jadual penanaman, sebulan lagi padi kami sudah boleh tuai namun tanaman itu akan mati sekiranya masalah bekalan air gagal diatasi segera.“Sumber air dari empangan Sungai Yong dilihat mencukupi namun keadaan pam yang tidak berfungsi untuk mengalirkannya ke bendang memungkinkan kami berdepan dengan risiko kerugian,” katanya ketika ditemui di sini hari ini.
Sementara itu, Pengarah Kawasan Pembangunan Pertanian Bersepadu Kemasin-Semerak (IADA), Nik Hamadi Nik Abdullah berkata, pintu kawalan air pasang surut ditutup 24 jam untuk meningkatkan paras air di sungai-sungai utama di sekitarnya.Katanya, langkah itu sebahagian daripada persiapan menghadapi kemungkinan musim kemarau berpanjangan dan mengurangkan risiko keputusan bekalan air kepada penduduk di daerah ini mulai sekarang.“Ia bertujuan bagi menampung keperluan seharian lebih 100,000 penduduk di Pasir Puteh termasuk memastikan mereka yang menceburi sektor pertanian dan keusahawanan tidak terjejas teruk,” katanya.Hamadi berkata, lebih membimbangkan jika bekalan air ke rumah-rumah dan premis perniagaan terjejas apabila pam air di loji di Kampung Wakaf Bunut milik Air Kelantan Sdn. Berhad (AKSB) tidak dapat mengepam air dari Sungai Rasau.
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IT is hot and dry in Malaysia now. The Meteorological Department has warned of low rainfall or no rain during the northeast monsoon, which will end by the end of this month. It will result in hot weather conditions in most parts of the country.There are already reports of dams in some states drying up due to the weather. In Johor, the Sungai Lebam Dam is almost 2m below the critical level, while the Lok Heng Dam is showing a water level of 2m, just 50cm above the critical level.In Sabah, there are only two months of water storage left with eight rivers at critical level, and nine on alert level. The overall water storage of dams in Sandakan, Kudat, Penampang, Tamparuli, Semporna and Lahad Datu is at 80 per cent.In Penang, the water level at Teluk Bahang Dam had dropped to some 70 per cent while the water level at Air Itam Dam dropped to some 65 per cent yesterday. In Kelantan, four rivers registered a decrease in water levels since the dry spell began early this month. The Drainage and Irrigation Department portal showed that water levels in Sungai Galas, Sungai Kelantan, Sungai Golok and Sungai Pergau have recorded a decrease.
Freshwater is our most essential resource. To some people, water is their “happy pill”, the sight of gushing water out of the pipes is much welcomed while notices of water cuts or shortages will be received with outrage. Yes, our life revolves around water and every time there is a dry spell, there will be calls for the public to conserve water.The average Malaysian uses between 220 and 240 litres of water a day, which is at least 32 per cent more than the 150 litres recommended by the United Nations. Reports, citing data from the National Water Services Commission, showed that Malaysia consumed 10.786 million litres a day of water in 2017, with some 60 per cent of it used in domestic households. Malaysia's per capita household consumption was 201 litres during that year.But for a conservation programme to be effective, it needs to be sustained throughout until it has achieved its target.
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“Babi lah lu! (You’re a pig!)” used to be a common insult in Malaysia although it is no longer taken lightly in these “highly sensitive” days.But the reality is, swine and humans do share many similarities – eating habits, for example.Both are omnivorous mammals that tend to gain weight easily because of their incessant eating.When it comes to “pigging out”, Malaysians are way ahead of five fellow Asean countries: Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.We have the highest rate of obesity (13.3%) and overweightness (38.5%), in addition to the highest proportion of diabetics (14.9%), according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates.With more than half of the population deemed unhealthy, the cost of medical management for obesity-related illnesses ranges between RM4.08bil to RM8.15bil a year.
It’s a massive amount, considering the RM29bil allocated for health under the 2019 Budget.There are now 2.5 million people aged 18 and above in this country with diabetes, and one in four Malaysians are expected to be diabetic by next year.Research shows that sugary drinks increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other chronic conditions.People who consume between one and two cans of sugary drinks a day have a 26% greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes over those who do not.Yet Malaysians, known for their largely sedentary lifestyles, continue to quench their thirst with sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs).Five years ago, the WHO slashed its sugar intake recommendations by half – from 10% of daily calorie intake to 5%.
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