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GEORGE TOWN: A soya bean drink seller has lost almost half a million ringgit to a Macau scam syndicate.It is learnt that the 53-year-old woman from Bayan Lepas, Penang received a call from someone who claimed to be a “police officer” in Seremban early December last year (2018) .Following that, she transferred her money in stages to the syndicate until Tuesday (Feb 26).In the phone conversation, she was passed to another “police officer” who told her that someone had misused her name to get a loan from a bank twice.

 The “police officer” then offered to solve the problem for her but said the victim had to pay a certain amount of money in order to get her name off the records.Balik Pulau OCPD Supt A. Anbalagan said the woman had transferred money in stages for six times to the syndicate amounting up to RM476,000.“The woman was weeping when she made the report, but nothing can be done,” he said.Anbalagan advised the public to not believe in any individuals or “authorities” in instances that involved transferring money to any account without checking things thoroughly first.“Please inform the police or seek advice from family members or third parties to avoid falling prey to Macau scams.

“The public should have high awareness to avoid becoming victims,” he added.The term “Macau scam” was coined because it is believed that the ruse originated from Macau or that the first victims came from there. This has never been confirmed.The scam often starts with a phone call from someone pretending to be an officer from a bank, government agency or debt collector.The scammer will then claim that the potential victim owes money or has an unpaid fine, often with a very short window of less than an hour to settle the payment or face “dire consequences”.

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One of the key functions of government is the protection and enhancing of consumer wellbeing. But what are the factors that influence the rakyat’s well-being? FOMCA would like to suggest 12 factors that need to be given consideration in any effort to enhance society’s wellbeing.

  1. A fair wage. Bank Negara has suggested the concept of a “living wage” which constitutes the minimum income needed by households, beyond the basics of food, clothing and shelter, to participate in society for personal and family development, and freedom from severe financial stress. It research indicated that a couple with 2 children would need RM 6,500 a month, couple with one child would need RM 4,500 per month and a single adult would need RM 2,700 per month. About one third of households in Kuala Lumpur were living below the minimum standard of living in 2016. Those earning below the living wage were mostly secondary school graduates with low to mid-skilled jobs, while those earning above the living were mostly graduates with high-skilled jobs. These findings underscore the importance of creating a high skilled workforce that is equipped with the necessary skills for high-paying jobs.
  2. Affordable Food. Especially for the poor, who spend a substantial part of their income on food and essential items, the increasing price of food has had a devastating effect on their wellbeing. FOMCA believes that efforts by the government to liberalise the market through the Competition Law, would result in benefits to the consumer through lower prices, better quality and more choices. Currently, we believe that there is significant price manipulation through collusion and other forms of monopolistic behaviour resulting in higher food prices.  Freeing both the local and the import market could have substantial price savings for consumers. We are also excessively dependent on food imports. We need to refocus on food crops to ensure greater food self-sufficiency and better control of food prices.
  3. Affordable housing. It is clear from Bank Negara as well as the Khazanah Research Centre Study that houses being built are being priced way above the ability of consumers to pay with the income that they are receiving. Developers build over-priced houses and then push banks to take the risk of giving a loan to those who may not have sufficient income to service their mortgage payments as well as put pressure on consumers to borrow above their ability to pay must be stopped by the regulators.  The regulators need to make stronger efforts to ensure that house prices match consumers’ income.
  4. Accessible and Affordable Public Transport. Transport makes up a major portion of the households expenses of low and middle-income families. While in the Klang Valley the LRT/MRT system provides a crucial backbone of the public transport system; the last mile of the public transport system, that is the bus system, is still terribly inefficient and unreliable. Nationwide, both in major towns and small towns, the bus system is generally inefficient and unreliable. Often this would force consumers to use private cars. It is estimated that households spend about 20 to 30% of their disposal income on private transport – instalments, petrol, services, maintenance, road tax, insurance, tolls and parking charges. An efficient public transport would contribute substantial savings to the households.

What consumers expect from an efficient public transport system is reliable services, shorter commute time, clean and comfortable buses and updated and reliable information on bus routes and bus arriving times and if possible some conveniences such  as walkaways.

  1. Accessible and affordable healthcare. Health care inflation is estimated at 15 to 20%. While Malaysia does have an excellent public healthcare system, overcrowding and lack of resources in the public healthcare system results in long waits to see the specialist and sometimes shortage of beds to admit seriously ill patients. This has often resulted in consumers going to the private healthcare which can be extremely expensive. On one side the government is under-investing in public healthcare resulting is shortages and long waits. On the other hand about 40% of consumers pay hospital bills from their pockets, as they have no medical insurance. Thus there is indeed great concern among Malaysian consumers, especially the low and middle income, on how to face illnesses and medical emergencies as they find waiting to see the doctor in public hospitals too long while private hospitals are prohibitively expensive.
  2. A safe and secure community. The National Community Policy can play a significant role in creating space for the voice of consumers so that they provide views and feedback on community issues that have a direct effect on their well-being. On the other hand, consumers also can play a bigger role in the security and development of their community. In too many communities, vandalism, destruction of public property such as lifts and playground amenities, unhealthy environment for example that enables the breeding of the aedes mosquito, haphazard parking, and irresponsible dumping of rubbish continue to occur. Continuous awareness and education is crucial. So is effective enforcement, especially for those who are too stubborn to change. Consumers need to take greater responsibility for their safety and for the cleanliness and development of their community. FOMCA also hopes that beyond the basic needs of the community, developmental programs and activities can be developed. This could include youth sports and recreation centres, child care services, mental health support services, and support for the aged.
  3. Access to safe and reliable water supply and energy. There are still communities with no access to water and/or electricity. Further some communities, face frequent water shortages causing great difficulties and inconvenience to consumers. There is therefore an urgent need to implement an integrated water resources management plan for effective water governance.
  4. Assistance in childcare. Childcare is simply becoming more expensive. With two income families, as well as the loss of the extended family system, current families are dependent on private services to take care of their children. Additionally, school going children also place tremendous financial pressures on families, especially on low-income and middle-income families. Initiatives are needed especially to assist low income families in supporting child care and child education expenditure.
  5. Social safety Net for the Poor. The social safety net is a collection of services provided by the state including welfare, unemployment benefit, universal healthcare, education support, homes, and sometimes subsidized services such as public transport, which prevent individuals from falling into poverty or extreme suffering. The social safety net is targeted at poor and vulnerable households to protect them from economic pressures, especially increasing costs of living. It is high time that Malaysia had a comprehensive social safety net. There are indeed many ad-hoc measures by various institutions; however, a comprehensive social safety net in Malaysia is still lacking.
  6. Comfortable retirement savings. Malaysia is ageing, and the population over 65 should come to 15% of the population by 2035. For many Malaysians, the only saving they have for retirement is their Employee Provident Fund (EPF) savings, yet for most Malaysians the savings in EPF is barely enough for a decent life after retirement. EPF would suggest that the minimum savings target by age 55 is RM 228,000. However, only 18% of EPF members have this much. More than 68% of members aged 54 had less than RM 50,000 is savings which is estimated to last only 4 ½ years. The bottom fifth of EPF members have average savings of only RM 6,909. There are 14.5 million active EPF accounts.
  7. Consumer Empowerment. To face these challenging times, consumers need to understand the workings of the market; how the market works, how prices are determined and the limitations of the government role in determining market prices. Consumers should more importantly realize that they are not helpless or victims of the market. They can make choices, at least to some extent, to manage their consumption and expenditures. Through their purchasing patterns, to some extent at least, they can influence the market. The purpose of consumer education then is to empower consumers with the knowledge, skills and the right mindset to face the challenges in the market. Through consumer education, consumers would learn how to better manage their consumption and their expenditure patterns. Consumer education would emphasize on practical steps and measures that consumer could do to reduce expenses. Example of practical measures would include price comparisons, changing from branded to generic products, consuming more fruits and vegetables rather than processed food and planning your purchases when one goes shopping.

Another important component of consumer education would be personal financial management. The purpose of financial education would be to empower consumer in their management of cash, savings and investment and in managing their debts. 

  1. A Healthy and Safe Environment. The environment - land, water, atmosphere/air, minerals, plant and animal life - plays a tremendous role on the well being of social communities and hence affects us all. A healthy life that is supported by clean air and water, safe living areas with good sanitary conditions, sufficient and healthy foods is everyone’s right. When the environment becomes degraded and polluted, it affects all either in the short or long run regardless of our social and economic status. We all strive for an improved quality of life, significant reduction of environmental risks and ecological scarcities. Our children are also entitled to better opportunities and healthy and happy lives. As such, the need for economic development, social justice and a healthy, sustainable environment cannot be taken for granted.

 

 

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PELBAGAI usaha diteruskan pelbagai pihak dalam dunia perubatan sebagai ikhtiar terbaik mengurangkan kadar kematian akibat kanser terutama barah paru-paru.Kaedah suntikan prembrolizumab atau terapi sasaran Anti PDI ini khusus untuk merawat kanser paru-paru yang diluluskan Kementerian Kesihatan baru-baru ini.Pengarah Urusan Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), syarikat berasaskan farmaseutikal terkemuka, Ashish Pal, berkata suntikan ini membuktikan komitmen berterusan pihaknya dalam meningkatkan peluang hidup buat penghidap kanser paru-paru.Beliau berkata, suntikan pembrolizumab (100mg) bertujuan meningkatkan sistem imunisasi badan bagi mengesan dan melawan sel tumor secara sasaran.

Suntikan tingkat sistem imun badan

“Rawatan berbeza dengan kaedah kemoterapi yang turut mematikan semua sel baik dalam tubuh,” katanya pada Majlis Pelancaran Keytruda dengan Kombinasi Kimoterapi di Kuala Lumpur, baru-baru ini.Pakar Perunding Onkologi klinikal, Pusat Perubatan Sunway, Dr Tho Lye Mun, berkata penemuan kaedah suntikan pembrolizumab kepada pesakit kanser paru-paru berupaya mengurangkan separuh kematian.Kaedah ini juga kata beliau, berupaya memanjangkan tempoh hayat pesakit dan meningkatkan perkembangan pejuang berbanding rawatan kemoterapi.Sementara itu, Perunding Onkologi klinikal dan Radioterapi, pusat rawatan sama, Dr Matin Mellor Abdullah, berkata sejak beberapa tahun lalu, dunia menyaksikan inovasi dalam merawat kanser paru-paru.Beliau berkata, kaedah rawatan menerusi terapi sasaran atau suntikan prembrolizumab ini lebih khusus menjurus kepada proses pemulihan dengan meningkatkan sistem imun badan pesakit.

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PUTRAJAYA: The mySalam insurance protection scheme for the B40 will cover those who are diagnosed with critical illness from Jan 1, said Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng (pic).Those with pre-existing conditions will not be covered and neither should those with good health register for the scheme.“We have to set a time-frame for those who can sign up. It has been decided that it should be from Jan 1.“Those who do not have any medical condition also cannot pre-register but if they fall ill later, they can be part of the scheme,” he said.The scheme was launched in January and is set to benefit some 3.69 million people nationwide.The scheme was announced during the tabling of Budget 2019 with an initial fund size of RM2bil contributed by insurance company Great Eastern.The 36 critical illnesses covered by the scheme include cancer, heart attacks and Alzheimer’s.

Recipients will receive a one-off payment of RM8,000 if they are diagnosed with one of the illnesses.Each will also receive daily payments of RM50 for up to 14 days as income replacement.Lim said there is no limit on how many people in the family could claim for mySalam benefits.“If more than one person in a family has been inflicted with critical illness, how can we turn them down?” he said.He also said while some were of the opinion that the money for this scheme could be used to improve health facilities, the minister said that the financial benefits go a long way for those in the B40.

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HASRAT kerajaan ingin membantu golongan petani miskin di luar bandar wajar dialu-alukan kerana mereka terpaksa mengalami tekanan hidup tanpa memiliki pendapatan yang sentiasa terjamin. Mereka yang terpaksa menanggung perbelanjaan harian keluarga seperti orang lain kerapkali berasa gelisah apabila harga hasil tanaman mereka seperti getah dan kelapa sawit semakin terjejas di peringkat antarabangsa. Permintaan antarabangsa terhadap minyak kelapa seperti China menyebabkan harganya merudum sekali gus memberi kesan kepada pekebun kecil tempatan.Pesawah di utara Semenanjung juga mengalami pelbagai musibah tanaman sehingga menyebabkan hasil keluaran terjejas. Tambahan pula kerajaan sekarang mengurangkan bantuan sara hidup mereka.

Sehubungan itu beberapa langkah perlu diambil oleh pihak berwajib bagi membantu meningkatkan hasil pendapatan harian atau bulanan petani serta pekebun kecil di luar bandar yang semakin terhimpit kehidupan masing-masing. Tidak ada guna dasar baharu digubal bagi memulihkan ekonomi negara sedangkan kesannya gagal mengatasi masalah sebenar dihadapi rakyat miskin seperti petani dan pekebun kecil.Penggunaan teknologi tinggi dalam sektor pertanian tidak semestinya berjaya mengubah nasib petani dan pekebun kecil terbabit sekiranya mereka masih memiliki saiz tanah seluas kangkang kera. Kerajaan terkini mesti berusaha mendapatkan pendapatan tinggi negara hasil daripada kutipan cukai terhadap industri perdagangan berskala besar supaya ia dapat dimanfaat dan disalurkan semula ke dalam pembangunan pelbagai sektor termasuk bidang pertanian.

Penulis bersetuju dengan cadangan Kementerian Pertanian dan Industri Asas Tani agar penggunaan tanah terbiar dalam bidang tanaman kontan dan ternakan lembu serta kambing dapat digiatkan secepat mungkin terutama melalui Pertubuhan Peladang Kawasan (PPK) di setiap negeri melalui agensi kerajaan yang ditubuhkan sebelum ini. Selain ternakan, Lembaga Kemajuan Tanah Persekutuan (Felda) dan Lembaga Penyatuan dan Pemulihan Tanah Persekutuan (Felcra) memiliki tanah beribu hektar di negara ini boleh mengusahakan tanaman herba yang semakin mendapat permintaan tinggi dewasa ini.

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KEPALA BATAS 27 Feb. - Seorang lelaki warga emas berusia 67 tahun terpaksa berputih mata apabila wang simpanannya berjumlah RM14,100 lesap selepas diperdaya sindiket parcel scam.Ketua Polis Daerah Seberang Perai Utara, Asisten Komisioner Noorzainy Mohd Noor berkata, mangsa pada mulanya telah berkenalan dengan seorang perempuan di Facebook yang memperkenalkan diri sebagai 'Silver Vuyana’ pada 18 Februari lalu.“Pada 20 Februari, mangsa yang bekerja sendiri di Perai, menerima panggilan daripada kurier dan mendakwa ada satu bungkusan yang dikirim kepadanya namun mangsa perlu membuat pembayaran duti import dan caj penghantaran terlebih dahulu.“Mangsa kemudian teringat mengenai rakan yang dikenali melalui Facebook yang sebelum itu memberitahu akan mengirim hadiah kepadanya dan tanpa mengesyaki apa-apa dia kemudian membuat bayaran sebanyak RM14,100 sebanyak tiga kali transaksi melalui mesin deposit tunai di sebuah bank di Raja Uda pada Selasa lalu," katanya di sini hari ini.

Menurut Noorzainy sehingga kelmarin, mangsa tidak menerima bungkusan tersebut."Dia kemudiannya menyedari telah ditipu sindiket terbabit lalu bertindak membuat laporan polis dan kes ini disiasat mengikut Seksyen 420 Kanun Keseksaan," katanya. - UTUSAN ONLINE

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KOTA KINABALU: Two more Borneo pygmy elephants have been found dead in Sabah’s east coast as the poaching threat continues unaba­ted into the new year.An adult cow was found dead near a plantation area at Sukau close to the high conservation area of Kinabatangan, while another was found near a state-owned plantation area in Tawau.Both the elephants were found in decomposing condition by the workers on Monday.Sabah Wildlife Department and police were informed of the two discoveries.Sabah Wildlife Department director Augustine Tuuga said yesterday that the post-mortem has yet to be done.Tuuga, however, declined further comment on the matter.

The two deaths, according to a conservationist who declined to be named, comes after five elephant deaths were reported between December and January this year.At least two of the elephants were believed to have been shot by poachers while the others could have been poisoned or succumbed to natural causes in the incidents in Kinabatangan, Tawau and Lahad Datu.Last year Sabah saw some 27 elephants deaths related to poisoning, poaching and natural causes as the state government put together an action plan to work with plantations and villagers to help mitigate the problems of human-elephant conflict.WWF Malaysia and other conservation groups have also been involved in mitigating the problems faced by the critically endangered Borneo Pygmy elephants.There is an estimated 1,500 to 2,500 elephants left in the wild and shrinking forest habitats are further putting pressure on the elephants and other wildlife in Sabah’s east coast forests.

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AN ILLEGAL water connection to a construction site in Mont Kiara has been cut off by National Water Services Commission (SPAN), following an alert by Selangor Water Management Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor).A team sent by SPAN to the site at Lot 57503, Jalan 4/70C, Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, discovered an extension from the 600mm Air Selangor main pipe that used a 32mm HDPE poly pipe.The extension was linked to a pond which channelled water to three cement mixers there.A chlorine test indicated that it was treated water.

 According to Section 123 (1) Water Services Industry Act 2006 (Act 655), no one is allowed to make any connection to a water pipe service without a licence, and offenders will be fined, not exceeding RM100,000, or jailed not exceeding one year or both, as stated in Section 123 (3) in the same Act.According to Selangor Water Management Sdn Bhd customer relationship and communication head Abdul Raof Ahmad, this year alone, there has been 58 cases of illegal water tapping in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya – 49 were for commercial use and nine for domestic use.“I urge the public to report to us if they notice any water-tapping activity,” Abdul said, adding that the process to register for water supply was easy.

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SEMENYIH: Kerajaan sememangnya bercadang untuk mengambil alih konsesi lebuh raya di negara ini, namun akan dilakukan secara berperingkat dan perlu melalui proses yang betul, kata Menteri Hal Ehwal Ekonomi Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.Beliau berkata proses pengambilalihan tol lebuh raya memerlukan perbincangan menyeluruh seperti melihat kembali perjanjian yang ditandatangani serta implikasi kewangan yang bakal terjadi selepas pengambilalihan.“Satu per satu lah (ambil alih tol), tadi kamu (pemberita) kata beban kewangan besar bila laksanakan ambil alih.“Apabila kerajaan ambil empat (tol) kata tidak ada kemampuan nak bayar, sekarang nak suruh ambil lagi satu pula,” katanya kepada pemberita di sini.

Beliau mengulas kenyataan Timbalan Presiden UMNO, Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, yang bertanya mengapa kerajaan tidak turut mengambil alih syarikat konsesi lebuh raya milik Plus Malaysia Berhad (PLUS).Sabtu lalu, Pejabat Perdana Menteri mengeluarkan kenyataan kerajaan sudah pun memulakan rundingan dengan Gamuda Berhad untuk mengambil alih konsesi empat lebuh raya yang syarikat terbabit mempunyai pegangan majoriti.Menurut kenyataan itu, kerajaan berhasrat untuk memansuhkan mekanisme tol sedia ada apabila berjaya mengambil alih lebuh raya berkenaan.Berdasarkan kenyataan itu, ‘congestion charge’ atau caj kesesakan akan diperkenalkan, yang mana pengguna akan hanya dikenakan bayaran caj kesesakan yang sama dengan kadar tol sedia ada untuk waktu puncak selama enam jam sehari.

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