LETTER | Revamp MyCC for better consumer protection - FOMCA
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Jan 27, 2023 11:38 AM
The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) fully supports Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Salahuddin Ayub for finally taking firm action to stop the abuse of consumers by Digital payments company Touch 'n Go (TNG).
Being a monopoly, TNG has always abused the welfare of consumers.
The Competition Act 2010 was established to prevent monopolistic behaviour by companies that abused their position in the market, thus causing suffering to consumers.
In relation to the abuses suffered by consumers, Fomca had filed a complaint with the Malaysian Competition Commission (MyCC) on Oct 30, 2018, against the abuses committed by TNG on consumers because of its monopolistic position.
Two years later, on Aug 28, 2020, MyCC responded that it had undertaken an investigation and, according to the results of its inquiry, “the issues raised do not raise any competition concern”. No matter how consumers are abused by TNG, the MyCC feels that it is not an issue of non-competition or the monopoly abusing its power.
There was again abuse of consumer welfare when TNG informed motorists that RFID would replace SmartTag. It sparked consumer anger and outrage. Fomca made a firm stand that consumers should be given a choice and not be forced into purchasing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID).
MyCC was silent again.
Growing complaints
Fortunately, the then prime minister made a firm announcement that consumers should be given a choice.
Read more: LETTER | Revamp MyCC for better consumer protection - FOMCA
Over 3,000 complaints from 2021-2022 received against airlines: NCCC
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08 Jan 2023 8:00AM
JOHOR BARU – The National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) received 3,029 complaints against airliners from January 2020 to December 2021, according to its senior manager Baskaran Sithamparam.
The majority of the complaints, he pointed out, pertain to travellers facing obstacles in receiving refunds for cancelled flights.
During the height of the pandemic, Baskaran highlighted, travel restrictions saw travellers’ flights cancelled, with some airlines operating in Malaysia offering vouchers instead of cash refunds.
“What makes things worse is that these vouchers sometimes come with a time limit, whereby travellers must use them before the period ends.
“Furthermore, for some consumers, vouchers were not a feasible solution given that they paid for flights using their credit cards, so in such situations, cash refunds would have been best,” Baskaran told The Vibes.
Najib Redzuan is an example of a customer who purchased a flight with a low-cost carrier in early 2020, which was cancelled due to the movement control order in place at the time.
Until today, despite spending over RM5,000 on flight tickets to Japan for a family vacation, he has yet to receive proper reimbursement.
“We were planning to fly to Japan sometime in March, and when our flights were cancelled, I was told by the airline that I would get a refund within a certain time period.
“I waited a whole year until I came across the news that the airline would be pursuing a restructuring scheme, which would see customers like me receiving credits we could use to purchase another flight.
Read more: Over 3,000 complaints from 2021-2022 received against airlines: NCCC
Caj perubatan meningkat, polisi insurans dijangka naik
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Januari 6, 2023 @ 11:10am
KUALA LUMPUR: Nilai tuntutan perubatan bagi insurans dan takaful hayat dijangka meningkat tahun ini berikutan kenaikan caj hospital serta perubatan, kata Penganalisis AmInvestment Bank, Kelvin Ong.
"Sehubungan itu, kami tidak menolak kemungkinan syarikat insurans/takaful menaikkan premium/sumbangan polisi sedia ada, berkuat kuasa dan baharu bagi mencerminkan keadaan tuntutan sejak kebelakangan ini," katanya dalam satu nota penyelidikan.
Beliau berkata, perkembangan itu berbeza dengan segmen insurans am yang harganya dijangka kekal kompetitif pada tahun ini.
Katanya, ini berikutan pada 1 Oktober 2022, harga produk bagi segmen kebakaran dan motor terus diliberalisasi di bawah Fasa 2A.
"Di bawah fasa 2A, tarif bagi produk kebakaran dikurangkan sebanyak 15 peratus. Begitu juga, harga bagi produk kebakaran tanpa tarif dipinda sehingga kurang 30 peratus daripada tarif baharu. Ia menarik keluar keupayaannya untuk mengenakan caj premium sehingga 30 peratus daripada tarif kebakaran," katanya.
Sementara itu, Ong berkata fleksibiliti harga bagi segmen motor sudah dinaikkan kira-kira 15 peratus, lebih tinggi berbanding 10 peratus daripada tarif di bawah Fasa 2.
Read more: Caj perubatan meningkat, polisi insurans dijangka naik
'Payung Rahmah' to help B40, hardcore poor tackle cost of living issues
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January 8, 2023 @ 9:55am
JOHOR BARU: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry will be introducing the 'Payung Rahmah' initiative to reduce the cost of living for the lower-income group (B40) and hardcore poor.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub said the initiative which would be announced on Tuesday, is the result of the cooperation with several ministries including the Economy Ministry, and the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry.
"The details will be announced on Tuesday and the concept of Payung Rahmah is the focus of our ministry as well as its short-term strategy for the first six months.
"It will touch on the B40 and hardcore poor who may be hard hit if we don't deal with it carefully and with focus because I fear the global economic situation is expected to be serious this year and will give greater impact on them," he told reporters after the Pulai Parliamentary Personnel Feast here last night.
The Pulai Member of Parliament said the initiative included giving food baskets, Rahmah Kasih Sayang Cheap Sale and Cafe Rahmah for university students.
"We will provide food baskets and hold Rahmah Kasih Sayang Cheap Sales which will have a package of 10 items, while for university students, aid is through Cafe Rahmah," he said.
Meanwhile, regarding the Chinese New Year celebration, Salahuddin said the ministry will be announcing a price control scheme next week.
When asked if there was a possibility that face masks would be placed as a controlled item following the opening of China's border, he said it had not been decided so far.
Read more: 'Payung Rahmah' to help B40, hardcore poor tackle cost of living issues
Are consumers really to blame for high food prices?
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5 Jan 2023 4:00PM
ECONOMIC Affairs Minister Rafizi Ramli believes consumers are to blame for high food prices because they continue to purchase essentials although prices have gone up. He would suggest, for example, that if chicken prices go up, people should stop eating chicken.
According to the Malaysia Economic Monitor Report published by the World Bank in 2019, it was reported that 30% of Malaysians felt they did not have enough money for food. The number of Malaysians who felt that they did not have enough money for food had doubled since 2012.
In a study by Universiti Putra Malaysia on young workers in public housing areas, 48.9% reported that they needed to borrow to buy basic food items, 61.1% reported not having enough money for medicines and 89% made late bill payments.
In a more recent report, it has been stated that post-pandemic, 20% of M40 have fallen into the B40 category.
In the World Bank Report, it has clearly reported that between 2012 and 2018 both rural and urban Malaysians have felt growing hardship in their life conditions. In the simplest terms, honourable minister, consumers are suffering from low incomes and high prices. Not because they are choosing to patronise expensive options to fulfil their hunger and their needs.
Despite Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association’s (Fomca) continuous advocacy for food security, we continue to under-invest in food production, whereby our self-sufficiency is too low to meet demands for basic foods. More than RM50 billion is spent on importing food, resulting in high volatility of food prices, like now as our ringgit falls.
Read more: Are consumers really to blame for high food prices?
Tackling cost of living agenda holistically
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21 Dec 2022 10:59AM
THE Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) would like to express its gratitude to the prime minister for ensuring no increase in electricity tariffs and efforts to address chicken and egg shortages.
Beyond these, what is needed is a holistic approach to the cost of living agenda. It encompasses issues of income and social protection, food availability and affordability, affordable housing, reliable public transport, accessible healthcare, affordable childcare services, and affordable internet services. It must also include the empowerment of consumers. Next, to ensure that the efforts and actions taken are actually having a positive impact on the people, we need to monitor their perceptions and their subjective wellbeing. Finally, we need to find a new way to move forward to ensure the effective implementation and monitoring of policies and programmes.
Income and social protection
Incomes in Malaysia are low. The living wage as proposed by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) is RM2,600 for a single adult. Yet, according to a World Bank Report in 2018, six million workers in Malaysia earned less than RM2,160. That was before the pandemic. Currently it has been reported that due to job loss and fall in income levels, coupled with the significant rise in cost of living, 20% of M40 have fallen into the B40 group.
Many Malaysians, especially in urban areas, feel their income is insufficient to raise their living standards. As at 2018, nearly 30% of Malaysians felt they did not have enough money for food and 23% reported they did not have adequate money for shelter. According to BNM, cost of living has been increasing across all households, but more significantly for lower income households in urbanised states.
TAHNIAH DATUK SERI ANWAR IBRAHIM PM-10
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Tahniah diucapkan kepada Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yang dilantik sebagai Perdana Menteri Ke-10.
#AnwarIbrahim
#PM10
#hakpengguna
#tanganikossarahidup
#FOMCA
Budget 2023: More needed to educate people on scams, financial literacy, says Fomca
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Friday, 07 Oct 2022 l 9:37 PM MYT
"There is a need to create awareness and educate people across all age groups on the various types of scam tactics," said Fomca secretary-general and chief executive officer Datuk Paul Selva Raj.
"Financial education is especially important for young people, as they are more likely to rack up high debt and spend beyond their means," he said.
Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz had announced in his Budget 2023 speech that a National Scam Response Centre would be established and start operation this month, acting on reports received by blocking the accounts and taking action against perpetrators.
He also said a platform would be created for the public to report any account or number suspected of being used by scammers.
Meanwhile, Paul said the Jualan Murah Keluarga Malaysia, a programme to sell essential goods and food supplies at cheaper prices, should be expanded to more locations including urban areas.
"It is especially important to include urban areas, where the cost of living is high and the people's income is low. If people can buy raw ingredients and cook their own food, that would help them with their finances," he said.
Paul expressed hope that the boost for the healthcare sector would make the healthcare system more accessible and efficient, as the system is currently overwhelmed.
Tengku Zafrul announced that the Health Ministry would be getting a RM36.1bil allocation next year, compared with RM32.4bil this year.
Source:
Tayang harta tarik 'mangsa'
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September 23, 2022 @ 12:00pm
Kuala Lumpur: Megah menayang kemewahan hidup seperti banglo dan kereta besar, barangan peribadi berjenama serta percutian luar negara kepada pengikut di media sosial.
Bukan itu sahaja, mereka turut memberikan testimoni diri sendiri seperti menunjukkan penampilan ramping dan putih melepak yang didakwa selepas memakai produk keluaran mereka sendiri.
Itu antara taktik pemasaran digunakan segelintir pengasas produk kosmetik dan kecantikan untuk memerangkap 'mangsa' menjadi stokis dan ejen bagi membeli produk mereka.
Secara logiknya ke mana produk itu dijual sedangkan ia tidak kelihatan di pasaran kalau bukan 'pelanggan' itu sebenarnya adalah ejen dan stokis mereka sendiri.
Berkongsi pengalaman pernah terjebak dengan perangkap golongan itu, Ain, 35, berkata dia tertarik dengan gaya hidup mewah ditayangkan seorang pengasas produk kosmetik.
Katanya, keadaan itu membuatkannya menjadi yakin apatah lagi janji manis pengasas yang mendakwa produknya mudah dijual kerana ramai pelanggan mengulangi tempahan.
"Pengasas itu mendakwa produk krimnya laris dan menerima maklum balas yang baik daripada pelanggan. Saya pun beli puluhan kotak dan cuba menjualnya kepada orang, tetapi hanya laku beberapa sahaja.
"Keadaan itu menyebabkan saya terpaksa pakai sendiri untuk menghabiskan baki stok, tetapi lama-kelamaan kulit saya pula menjadi gatal, menggelupas dan kasar.
"Akhirnya saya terpaksa buang semua stok terbabit kerana tidak mahu merisikokan diri sendiri dan orang lain," katanya yang kerugian lebih RM1,500.
Suri rumah, Ira, 40, pula berkata dia hanya mencuba nasib menjadi ejen produk kecantikan dengan niat mahu membantu meringankan beban suaminya.
Namun, katanya, lain pula berlaku selepas dia termasuk dalam perangkap apabila perlu membeli secara pukal (kuantiti ditetapkan) bagi melayakkannya menjadi ejen dan mendapat keistimewaan harga lebih murah berbanding pelanggan biasa.
Kerajaan perlu perketat jaringan keselamatan - FOMCA
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September 18, 2022 @ 1:00pm
Soalan (S): Apa pendirian FOMCA berhubung kenaikan OPR berturut-turut?
Jawapan (J): Sudah tentu keputusan BNM mempunyai kaitan langsung dengan ekonomi negara. Apabila OPR ditingkatkan, pada asasnya, pihak berkenaan mahu mengukuhkan nilai ringgit, selain memastikan simpanan dalam negara meningkat, susulan dua tahun negara berdepan pandemik. Dengan situasi dalam proses pemulihan ekonomi, pada asasnya, langkah kerajaan bertujuan melindungi ekonomi negara. Jadi apa dilakukan sekarang adalah berdasarkan ekonomi semasa. Jika tidak, bank akan terkesan dalam jangka panjang kerana kita bergantung dengan dolar AS, selain akan menghadapi kerugian besar. Pada masa ini, kadar OPR dinaikkan berperingkat dan sudah tentu yang mengalami kesannya adalah peminjam.
S: Apa saranan FOMCA terhadap peminjam dalam menghadapi kenaikan OPR?
J: Peminjam harus faham, ia berdasarkan perjanjian ditandatangani kerana tertera dalam dokumen perjanjian, iaitu jika berlaku perubahan OPR, pinjaman akan berubah. Ramai terkesan dengan situasi pandemik COVID-19 seperti alami kekurangan pendapatan dan hilang pekerjaan. Selain tekanan kenaikan harga barang, inflasi serta indeks harga sangat tinggi mengakibatkan kuasa beli pengguna jatuh. Ini turut menjejaskan kadar simpanan dan memberi kesan kepada perbelanjaan bulanan serta pada masa sama, mereka perlu memastikan ada makanan di atas meja untuk dimakan ahli keluarga.
Jadi, rakyat dalam kumpulan terjejas ini perlu menggunakan wang simpanan untuk menampung perbelanjaan. Faktor ini menyumbang masalah kewangan dan penambahan bebanan perbelanjaan pengguna. Namun, apa perlu dilakukan orang ramai jika tidak mampu melunaskan ansuran pinjaman, mereka perlu menghubungi pihak bank untuk membuat penjadualan semula pinjaman. Jika tidak membuahkan hasil, pengguna boleh mendapatkan bantuan Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK). AKPK akan memberi nasihat kewangan mengenai perkara sepatutnya dilakukan, jenis intervensi dan jika masih tidak mampu, akan berunding dengan bank untuk langkah seterusnya.
Read more: Kerajaan perlu perketat jaringan keselamatan - FOMCA
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