FOMCA DI PENTAS MEDIA

A new government strategy aims to create clearer pathways for Malaysians, especially youth, to achieve financial wellbeing

2025-11-25T18:48:33+00:00

FOMCA dedah taktik halus iklan perangkap pengguna

2025-11-20T18:56:09+00:00

KUALA LUMPUR - Persekutuan Persatuan-Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (FOMCA) mendedahkan semakin banyak aduan diterima berhubung taktik halus yang digunakan peniaga untuk memanipulasi pengguna melalui iklan mengelirukan.

Ketua Pegawai Operasi FOMCA, Nur Asyikin Aminuddin berkata, rakan strategiknya, Pusat Khidmat Aduan Pengguna Nasional (NCCC) juga kerap menerima aduan yang berkaitan dengan amalan perniagaan yang tidak beretika dan segalanya bermula dari sebuah iklan yang mengelirukan.

Menurutnya, iklan sepatutnya digunakan sebagai alat makluman mengenai produk atau perkhidmatan yang ditawarkan, tetapi kini ia dijadikan sebagai perangkap halus untuk memanipulasi pengguna.

"Situasi ini amat membimbangkan kerana ia melibatkan perniagaan daripada pelbagai sektor termasuk pasar raya, kedai serbaneka, e-dagang, telekomunikasi, dan termasuk perkhidmatan kesejahteraan dan kecantikan," katanya dalam kenyataan.

Beliau berkata, sektor kesejahteraan dan kecantikan menunjukkan peningkatan ketara apabila hampir setiap minggu sekurang-kurangnya dua aduan berkaitan iklan mengelirukan diterima.

Terdapat premis yang beroperasi di luar bidang kuasa sama ada Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (�㽶��Ƶ) atau Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Kos Sara Hidup (KPDN), sekali gus membuka ruang eksploitasi.

Tak wajar telco caj hindar scam

2025-11-13T18:57:38+00:00

KUALA LUMPUR: Tindakan syarikat telekomunikasi (telco) mengenakan caj RM10 sebulan untuk perkhidmatan perlindungan scam atau penipuan, disifatkan tidak wajar dan bercanggah prinsip tanggungjawab asas penyedia perkhidmatan itu terhadap keselamatan pengguna khidmat mereka.

Persatuan pengguna dan pakar komputer menyifatkan, keselamatan asas pengguna khidmat telekomunikasi daripada gangguan panggilan dan pesanan sepatutnya ditanggung setiap telco dan bukannya dijadikan sumber keuntungan baharu syarikat berkenaan.

Jabatan Perangkaan Malaysia (DOSM) dalam laporan pada April 2024, mendedahkan 99.3 peratus daripada kira-kira 34 juta rakyat negara ini mempunyai akses kepada telefon bimbit. Ia merangkumi perkhidmatan secara prabayar atau pasca bayar menerusi pelbagai pakej ditawarkan oleh telco tempatan.

Pensyarah Fakulti Sains Komputer dan Matematik Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Prof Madya Dr Mohamad Yusof Darus, berkata keselamatan digital tidak seharusnya dijadikan produk berbayar, sebaliknya ia hak asas setiap pelanggan yang perlu dijamin oleh semua telco.

"Isunya bukan sekadar pada nilai caj terbabit tetapi pada prinsip adakah keselamatan pengguna suatu pilihan tambahan atau tanggungjawab asas penyedia perkhidmatan.

"Apabila keselamatan dijadikan produk premium, ia seolah-olah menukar perlindungan asas kepada bentuk keuntungan, sedangkan kepercayaan terhadap jaringan komunikasi bergantung kepada jaminan keselamatan yang menyeluruh," katanya kepada BH, semalam.

Fomca sounds alarm over surging insurance premiums

2025-11-13T18:51:05+00:00

PETALING JAYA: The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) has sounded the alarm over surging private health insurance premiums, adding that many elderly Malaysians are being priced out of protection just when they need it most.

Its CEO Dr Saravanan Thambirajah said premiums for policyholders over the age of 60 have surged two to threefold in the past two years, in some cases rising as much as 300%.

“Many retirees who have maintained their policies for decades are now forced to surrender them. Some even sacrifice their own coverage so their children could remain insured.”

He said the trend is deeply worrying, as seniors feel they are being “punished simply for growing older”.

He added that Fomca has seen a growing number of complaints about delayed or rejected claims, excessive red tape and insurers overriding the recommendations of doctors.

“When medical decisions are dictated by administrators instead of doctors, the system has failed.

“Some seniors even find it cheaper and less stressful to pay out-of-pocket than to use their insurance.”

EPF withdrawal: Can Malaysia afford to wait beyond 60?

2025-11-13T18:46:12+00:00

MALAYSIA’S retirement policy has returned to the spotlight after the World Bank proposed raising the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) withdrawal age to beyond 55, citing the country’s rapidly ageing population and longer life expectancy.

In its latest report, “Should Malaysia expand its social pension? Global evidence, design issues and options”, the international financial institution said the current withdrawal age of 55 and social pension eligibility at 60 are no longer in step with Malaysia’s demographic realities.

It argued that gradually increasing both thresholds would help sustain the country’s social protection system while allowing retirees to receive larger average benefits later in life.

The World Bank said the proposed shift would better reflect Malaysia’s demographic profile, with citizens now living longer and healthier than four decades ago, when the current EPF framework was first designed.

Citing data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia’s (DOSM) 2022 Household Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES), the Bank found that poverty risk rises sharply with age — 24% among households headed by those aged 60 and above, 42% for those 65 and above, and 49% for those 70 and above.

It added that raising the withdrawal and pension eligibility ages would be justified if paired with broader coverage for Malaysians without retirement savings or fixed pensions, to balance welfare needs with fiscal responsibility.

Mule accounts reveal deep fault lines in banking

2025-11-13T17:53:39+00:00

MALAYSIA is seeing a steady rise in mule account cases, mirroring the broader escalation of online financial scams. The issue cuts across demographics and is becoming a systemic threat to banking integrity and public trust.

Mule accounts are bank accounts used to receive and transfer illicit funds on behalf of fraud syndicates, obscuring the origin and destination of money. These account holders — some knowingly complicit, others misled through job scams or financial incentives — act as intermediaries in online fraud, investment scams and phishing schemes.

Law enforcement agencies globally, including Europol and Interpol, have identified mule accounts as key enablers of cross-border cybercrime. Young adults and gig workers are frequently targeted due to economic vulnerability and high online exposure.

In Malaysia, the problem has intensified with rising digital banking adoption and the adaptability of criminal networks. At least 1,300 individuals suspected of online fraud were arrested during

Operation Mule, conducted by the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) over a one-week period ending Sept 28, according to media reports.

The surge has left many victims in prolonged disputes with banks, often facing frozen accounts, limited access to funds and lengthy investigations that affect daily life.

Cadangan naikkan umur persaraan: Akses pengeluaran simpanan KWSP bantu pesara perkukuh kestabilan kewangan

2025-11-10T22:57:47+00:00

KUALA LUMPUR: Cadangan menaikkan umur pengeluaran penuh Kumpulan Wang Simpanan Pekerja (KWSP) melebihi 55 tahun dilihat sebagai langkah yang mampu membantu pencarum memperkukuh kestabilan kewangan selepas bersara.

Naib Presiden merangkap Penasihat Undang-Undang Gabungan Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (FOMCA), Datuk Indrani Thuraisingham berkata, inisiatif itu juga perlu disertai dengan jaringan keselamatan sosial yang kukuh.

"Individu yang tidak lagi mampu bekerja dalam tempoh antara umur persaraan minimum dan (cadangan) umur pengeluaran KWSP ini mesti mempunyai akses kepada pencen atau bantuan sosial yang mencukupi.

“Ramai pesara menghabiskan simpanan KWSP mereka dalam tempoh tiga hingga lima tahun selepas pengeluaran penuh pada usia 55 tahun.

"Jika trend ini berterusan, mereka berisiko hidup lebih lama daripada jumlah simpanan yang ada," katanya.

Dalam pada itu, Profesor Ekonomi dan Polisi Kesihatan Universiti Perubatan Antarabangsa (IMU), Prof. Datuk Dr. Syed Mohamed Aljunid menyarankan kerajaan memperluas skim pencen sosial sebagai langkah jangka panjang bagi melindungi kebajikan warga emas yang tidak mempunyai simpanan persaraan mencukupi.

Budi95 system gets thumbs up from Fomca

2025-11-02T22:41:33+00:00

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians are adapting well to the newly implemented Budi95 targeted fuel subsidy system, with most consumers expressing satisfaction with it, said the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca).

Its CEO Saravanan Thambirajah said feedback from motorists after a month have been largely positive.

“The overall response to Budi95 has been encouraging. Consumers are adjusting to the new quota system and the MyKad-based verification process is functioning smoothly in most cases.”

Introduced to replace blanket fuel subsidies, Budi95 ensures that assistance reaches those who truly need it while curbing smuggling and misuse.

Most Malaysians now display greater awareness of their fuel usage. Many are planning travel more efficiently, and the quota has proven sufficient for personal and family needs for the vast majority.

Saravanan said Fomca strongly recommends retaining the 300-litre limit, which balances fairness, predictability and fiscal responsibility.

Fomca backs integrating welfare aid through MyKad, urges strong data safeguards

2025-11-02T22:34:29+00:00

KUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) has welcomed the government's proposal to integrate all welfare and aid programmes into the MyKad system, describing it as a positive and timely step towards better governance.

"Centralising the data and delivery system can enhance efficiency, coordination, and accountability, ensuring that public assistance reaches those who truly need it," said secretary-general Dr Saravanan Thambirajah when reached by the New Straits Times.

Saravanan cautioned, however, that the system must be underpinned by strong data protection and privacy safeguards to prevent misuse or leaks of personal information.

"Consumers' personal and financial information must be kept secure at all times," he said, adding that while digital integration could bring convenience, it must not compromise trust or fairness.

Saravanan said the initiative could ease the burden faced by vulnerable groups who currently deal with excessive bureaucracy and complicated documentation when applying for aid, reducing administrative hurdles and emotional strain.

He added that integrating data from federal, state, and zakat institutions could also prevent overlapping assistance and ensure fairer resource distribution.

INTERACTIVE: Expand B40 health schemes to M40 households, say stakeholders

2025-11-02T22:32:51+00:00

PETALING JAYA: Free health screenings and subsidised medical insurance for the B40 should be widened to include middle-income families who are also feeling the pinch from rising medical inflation, say stakeholders.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) chief executive officer Saravanan Thambirajah said many M40 households now face similar financial pressures as the B40, including higher medical costs, stagnant wages, and limited access to affordable private healthcare.

“They are the ‘missing middle’ who fall through the cracks of social protection.

“By widening coverage through a shared-subsidy or co-payment model, the government can ensure more Malaysians are protected against unexpected medical expenses while keeping the schemes financially sustainable,” he said.

He said this in response to Aon’s 2026 Global Medical Trend Rates Report which projects Malaysia’s medical inflation to hit 16% in 2026, well above the Asia-Pacific average of 11.3%.

Current health programmes for the B40 include Peka B40, which offers free check-ups, medical device aid, and early detection incentives for Malaysians aged 40 and above.