PETALING JAYA: The government has decided to end the price controls on chicken eggs and reduce the subsidies from 10 sen to 5 sen per egg, effective tomorrow.

“This decision was made after taking into account the industry’s commitment to ensuring sufficient and stable egg production, as production costs have stabilised.

“This was evident during the recent Aidilfitri festive season, where supply remained adequate and prices were competitive,” it said.

The ministry said that to minimise the impact of the decision, it would collaborate with the domestic trade and cost of living ministry for the introduction of a special grade of egg at an affordable price.

It also said that consumers could continue to buy eggs at competitive prices through Agro Madani Sales and Rahmah Sales programmes nationwide.

This measure stems from a European Commission regulation dated June 16, 2023. It is part of the wider framework of the European Green Deal, which seeks to promote a more circular and sustainable economy.

As detailed by the EU, this energy label will display a host of key information, starting with the smartphone or tablet's energy efficiency rating, from A (best performance) to G (worst performance). On the same label, consumers will be able to find the estimated battery life (in hours and minutes) and the battery endurance, or its expected lifespan in number of charge cycles.

The label will also specify the device's durability, resistance to dust and water, and repairability index, ranging from A (highly repairable) to E (not very repairable). Finally, a QR code will give consumers access to an online database containing detailed information on the product and its battery composition.

The aim of this label is to inform consumers about the performance and durability of the device they wish to purchase. Ultimately, the idea is to reduce the environmental footprint of these devices by encouraging the purchase of energy-efficient, easy-to-repair models. The label will be required for all smartphones and tablets sold in the EU from June 20. – AFP Relaxnews 

PETALING JAYA: The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) has stressed that protecting public health should take precedence over concerns from vape dealers over potential economic losses from bans.

In a statement, Fomca said plans by several states to ban the sale of vape-related products marked a progressive step towards fulfilling the country’s responsibility under the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), a public health treaty ratified by 181 countries.

Malaysia acceded to the convention in 2005 and remains committed to achieving the FCTC’s target of reducing the use of smoking products to below 5% by 2040, said Fomca.

“Global experience has shown that the partial regulation of smoking products is insufficient to achieve significant reductions in the burden of smoking-related diseases. Therefore, the ban on vape sales must continue, supported by firm and consistent enforcement actions,” said Fomca.

KUALA LUMPUR: State governments should ban the sale of vape products through local councils, as they are becoming more popular among children due to their accessibility and flashy advertising.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) secretary-general Saravanan Thambirajah said banning the sale of vape products was long overdue.

He said that there had been many complaints from parents and educators that children were exposed to nicotine and sometimes synthetic drugs through vaping at a young age.

"This poses a grave public health concern. Addiction is developing at a young age, and the long-term consequences on brain development, learning and general wellbeing are substantial.

"We are no longer in a position to just study the issue. Action is needed now," he said while calling on other state governments to follow in the footsteps of the Johor government in banning the sale of the product.

KUALA LUMPUR: Online fraud involving e-finance crimes, love scams, e-commerce, telecommunications, loans and non-existent investments increased between 1.6% and 19.8% in the first quarter of the year, compared with the last quarter of 2024.

Acting Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Deputy Comm Datuk Rohaimi Md Isa said losses amounting to RM573.7mil involving 12,110 cases were recorded between January and March this year.

“E-commerce crime cases recorded the highest increase of 19.8% with 2,535 cases, followed by telecommunications crime at 17.1% involving 5,214 cases.

“The highest increase recorded in the e-commerce crime category is closely linked to the increase in online purchasing activities by consumers, especially in conjunction with the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration,” DCP Rohaimi said.

Although the overall number of online fraud cases recorded an increase, he said, total losses involving e-finance crimes, love scams, e-commerce crimes and non-existent loans decreased between 1.8% and 24.8%.

PUTRAJAYA, 18 April: Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Kos Sara Hidup (KPDN) menegaskan bahawa pelaksanaan dasar paparan harga ubat di klinik swasta bukan bertujuan untuk mengawal harga, sebaliknya bagi memastikan ketelusan kepada pengguna.

Menterinya, Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali, berkata dasar tersebut penting bagi memberikan akses kepada maklumat harga ubat, sekali gus membolehkan rakyat membuat pilihan berdasarkan kemampuan dan keperluan masing-masing.

“Apa yang kita lakukan di sini adalah untuk memaparkan harga ubat supaya rakyat ada akses kepada maklumat, dan dapat membuat pilihan. Kita tidak, melalui Akta Kawalan Harga dan Anti Pencatutan (AKHAP), menetapkan berapa harga ubat yang perlu dijual.

“Tidak. Juallah ikut harga kehendak masing-masing, tetapi yang penting ialah paparkan supaya rakyat boleh melihat dan membuat pilihan tersebut,” katanya selepas menghadiri Sambutan Hari Penguat Kuasa Ke-53 di Putrajaya, hari ini.

Pada masa sama, beliau turut menjelaskan bahawa pelaksanaan dasar tersebut telah dibincangkan dan dipersetujui bersama Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (�㽶��Ƶ) serta Jabatan Peguam Negara bagi memastikan ia selari dengan peraturan sedia ada.