Beli barangan Malaysia, buka lebih banyak peluang pekerjaan
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KUALA LUMPUR, 6 Julai - Pembelian barangan buatan Malaysia terus memberi impak signifikan kepada pengguna dan ekonomi negara secara keseluruhan.
Menurut Ahli Eksekutif Bahagian Komunikasi Strategik dan Pengurusan Sumber, Gabungan Persatuan-Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (FOMCA), Tamilarasan Nalliah, langkah ini berupaya membuka lebih banyak peluang pekerjaan kepada rakyat tempatan, seterusnya membantu menurunkan kadar pengangguran negara.
鈥淏eli barangan buatan Malaysia ni memberi banyak impak, bukan sahaja dari segi mikro, tetapi makro juga. Contohnya setiap pembelian barang buatan Malaysia kita boleh menjamin setiap ringgit yang kita belanja itu akan kekal dalam negara, seterusnya menjamin rantaian perniagaan yang lebih stabil," katanya kepada pemberita di Angkasapuri Kota Media.
Selain menjana peluang ekonomi, barangan tempatan juga diyakini berkualiti tinggi kerana mematuhi piawaian antarabangsa.
Ke arah itu, kerajaan turut menyokong usaha memartabatkan produk tempatan melalui pelbagai inisiatif termasuk Kempen Beli Barangan Malaysia, penyediaan latihan dan geran pemasaran serta platform Zon Perdagangan Bebas Digital (DFTZ) untuk memasarkan produk ke peringkat global.
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鈥楽wift action key to price stability鈥
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PUTRAJAYA: Among ways to prevent unnecessary price hikes is to strengthen existing mechanisms for price monitoring and enforcement, says a consumer rights activist.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) secretary-general Saravanan Thambirajah said this is one of the most immediate actions the government could take.
鈥淲hen prices of essential items are being hiked up arbitrarily or without justification, there must be swift investigation and enforcement by the authorities.
鈥淭he Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry鈥檚 call for consumer associations to serve as its eyes and ears is a good initiative, but it will only be effective if reports from the ground lead to real action,鈥 he said.
Saravanan added that the government must focus on transparency to prevent the public from becoming victims of inflated prices or being wrongly taxed.
鈥淲hen consumers know the market price of goods, they are in a better position to make informed choices.
Crackdown urged on hazardous car gadgets
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PETALING JAYA: Consumer groups and road safety advocates are calling for an immediate clampdown on the sale of dummy buckles and related accessories, both online and in stores.
This is despite the looming ban on the import of these accessories into Malaysia by the year-end.
Federation of Malaysian Con颅sumers Associations chief executive officer Saravanan Thambi颅rajah said their continued availability demonstrates a gap in regulatory enforcement.
鈥淥nline marketplaces should not become loopholes for banned or dangerous products to reach consumers.
鈥淪imilarly, physical retail shops, especially car accessory outlets, need to be monitored, and any attempt to sell existing stock of dummy buckles and related items after the ban must result in firm penalties,鈥 he said, urging for e-commerce platforms to be held accountable for their content.
Checks over several online platforms as at press time yesterday also showed that dummy seat belt buckles are readily available and cost well under RM10.
Thai exporters urged to comply with Malaysia鈥檚 new food safety rules
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PETALING JAYA: Thailand鈥檚 foreign trade department has urged its exporters to prepare for Malaysia鈥檚 new food safety rules to minimise the risk of having their goods rejected at Malaysia鈥檚 borders.In a report in Thai newspaper The Nation, a Thai official stated that Malaysia鈥檚 new food safety rules could block Thai food exports if factories fail to meet certification standards, a move that could potentially threaten Thai food exports worth billions of baht.Arada Fuangthong, director-general of the foreign trade department, said Malaysia has added a new category, IIB, to the Food Regulations 1985 to raise food safety standards for imports to match those of domestic products.
Under the new rules, factories exporting food to Malaysia must have food safety certification from Malaysia鈥檚 food safety and quality programme under the health ministry.
The certification system must cover Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems, and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), said Arada.
In addition, Malaysia may inspect food production sites in Thailand in collaboration with relevant authorities.
Read more: Thai exporters urged to comply with Malaysia鈥檚 new food safety rules
Kerajaan digesa pinda undang-undang wajibkan penarikan balik produk tidak selamat
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SHAH ALAM 鈥 Kerajaan digesa meminda undang-undang bagi memasukkan peruntukan penarikan balik produk secara mandatori dalam Akta Perlindungan Pengguna 1999 dan Akta Perihal Dagangan 2011.
Setiausaha Agung Persatuan Pengguna-Pengguna Standards Malaysia, Saral James Maniam berkata, dalam aspek memastikan keselamatan pengguna, negara perlu mencontohi pendekatan proaktif seperti yang dilakukan oleh Kesatuan Eropah (EU), United Kingdom (UK), Jepun dan Singapura.
鈥淧englibatan pengguna dalam pembangunan dan semakan piawaian seperti Standard Malaysia MS 2626:2016 (MS 2626) perlu dijadikan budaya.
鈥淧engguna perlu faham hak mereka dan industri perlu bersedia dengan tanggungjawabnya. Jika kita gagal bersedia, kita sedang sedia untuk gagal,鈥 katanya dalam satu kenyataan pada Selasa.
Ujar Saral, MS 2626 digubal oleh Jawatankuasa Teknikal NSC 03/TC2 dengan merujuk kepada dua standard antarabangsa iaitu ISO 10377 (Keselamatan Produk) dan ISO 10393 (Penarikan Balik Produk).
Read more: Kerajaan digesa pinda undang-undang wajibkan penarikan balik produk tidak selamat
Brace for price hikes across the board, consumers told
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PETALING JAYA: Consumers should brace themselves for a gradual increase in prices of goods following the implementation of the new electricity tariffs effective July 1, say business groups.
This is because manufacturers and those in the affected sectors may not be able to absorb higher costs and would likely pass on to consumers.
SME Association of Malaysia president Chin Chee Seong said it is too early to gauge the overall increase in electricity bills for businesses.
鈥淚t is difficult to say how much their electricity bills will increase at the moment.
鈥淭his is because the new tariffs are based on the amount of electricity used and on different rates of consumption.
鈥淭alk among some SMEs is that there is likely to be at least a 20% increase in electricity bills,鈥 he said when contacted yesterday.
Chin said the association will gather feedback from its members to determine how much more they have to pay for their electricity.
Read more: Brace for price hikes across the board, consumers told
Fomca: Financial access at risk
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PETALING JAYA: Ahead of the implementation of service tax on financial services on July 1, groups have voiced concerns, saying that this is likely to drive up costs for businesses and the regular people.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) vice-president Datuk Indrani Thuraisingham said ordinary Malaysians would be the most impacted by the 8% service tax on fee-based financial services.
Indrani said the small charges may seem as a trivial amount but it is a huge sum when multiplied by the millions of transactions.
鈥淲hen Malaysian banks are riding on massive profits and control trillions in assets, why should struggling consumers be asked to chip in more.
鈥淭his is taxing basic financial access, not luxury,鈥 said Indrani.
Indrani called on Bank Negara Malaysia and the Finance Ministry to immediately review this new ruling.
鈥淭he principle of consumer fairness must be upheld,鈥 said Indrani, adding that banks should absorb part of this tax, especially on low value and high-volume services.
Indrani also said consumer groups should be given the space to scrutinise every fee schedule so that banks should be held accountable and thereby prevent opportunistic fee hikes disguised as tax adjustments.
Experts call for tax on vacant and unsold homes
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PETALING JAYA: Housing experts have called for a vacancy tax to help tackle the rise of vacant and unsold homes and lower property prices by discouraging speculation.They said many 鈥渁ffordable鈥 housing units are being held empty by owners or investors, making it harder for real buyers to find homes.Research associate K Theebalakshmi said a vacancy tax can prevent speculation and push developers to build homes that meet actual needs, reducing oversupply and supporting more balanced housing development.
Theebalakshmi, who is with Khazanah Research Institute, said housing prices in Malaysia rose by 5.8% a year between 2010 and 2022, well above the healthy growth range of 3% to 4%.
鈥淲hile some fear falling home prices or rents, this kind of market correction (vacancy tax) may be just what we need to make housing more fair and stable,鈥 she told FMT.
鈥淚n highly urbanised states where vacancy and overhang rates are high, a vacancy tax would help stop people from holding on to homes for quick profit.鈥
Figures from the statistics department show that nearly 20% of homes in Selangor and Penang were vacant in 2020.
More than 53,000 units were unoccupied in Penang, often waiting to be sold or rented out. In Selangor, 343,562 homes were reported vacant, with about 197,065 of them either newly completed or pending occupancy.
MRCA urges government to reconsider 8pct SST on retail rents
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KUALA LUMPUR: One of the country's largest retail groups, whose members employ over 400,000 people, has called on the government to consider a further review of the eight per cent Sales and Service Tax (SST) on commercial rentals.
This comes after the Finance Ministry announced an increase in the Service Tax registration threshold for commercial rentals from RM500,000 to RM1 million.
Malaysia Retail Chain Association (MRCA) vice-president Dr Afendi Dahlan said while they welcomed the revision, as it would help many micro, small and medium enterprises that fall within this range, there were concerns for other players.
He said businesses already faced higher overheads due to the rise in the minimum wage from RM1,500 to RM1,700, the rationalisation of diesel subsidies, higher electricity tariffs, e-invoicing and Employees Provident Fund contributions for foreign workers, among others.
Afendi said rental was among the key costs for any retailer, accounting for up to 20 per cent of total costs.
Read more: MRCA urges government to reconsider 8pct SST on retail rents
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