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Fomca rails against KTMB over purchase fee affecting the disabled, seniors

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Created: 10 April 2025

PETALING JAYA: The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) has slammed Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) for imposing an additional RM5 fee on travellers who purchase their tickets over the counter at railway stations.

Fomca president N Marimuthu said levying a fee for all over-the-counter purchases was unacceptable, and that insisting that disabled Malaysians and senior citizens also pay the RM5 charge per ticket was “extremely heartless”.

“We have received a few complaints about this over the last two weeks. They were told that they should download the KTMB app if they want to avoid the fee.

“Are the officers joking? How would a visually disabled person use an app? What makes matters worse is that others cannot use the app to book tickets for the disabled and senior citizens. 

“Why is it so difficult to accommodate these groups of Malaysians, who do not comprise a big number overall? This is totally unacceptable to the most vulnerable groups of Malaysians,” he told FMT.

Marimuthu said he was told that KTMB had invested a lot of money in upgrading its infrastructure and introducing online services, and thus wanted to recoup its capital expenditure.

Read more: Fomca rails against KTMB over purchase fee affecting the disabled, seniors

Less engine anxiety ahead

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Created: 10 April 2025

PETALING JAYA: After years of fighting the scourge of counterfeit engine oil, the authorities are now cracking down on the slippery offenders.

The Trade Descriptions Order (Certification and Marking of Engine Oil for Motor Vehicles) 2024 came into force on Monday, allowing consumers to identify genuine motor vehicle engine oil from the many fake products in the market.

Interest groups say the move will protect consumers, while helping authorities curb the sale of counterfeit oils.

The order was actually gazetted on Oct 11 last year but the government had given manufacturers six months to comply with the directives.

Under this directive, those looking to supply motor vehicle engine oil have to make an application to SIRIM QAS International Sdn Bhd, as the competent authority, to obtain certification and conformity label.

Engine oil here refers to oil used for lubrication of internal combustion engine motor vehicles.

Read more: Less engine anxiety ahead

ADDRESSING HIDDEN HOSPITAL CHARGES: ENHANCING TRANSPARENCY IN MALAYSIA'S HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

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Created: 09 April 2025

In January 2025, Azrul Mohd Khalib who is the Chief Executive of the Galen Centre for Health and Social Policy, highlighted that an estimated 70% of private hospital charges remain unregulated. This means that hospitals have the liberty to set arbitrary prices for a range of items and services, including essential medical equipment such as wheelchairs, heart monitors, and even emesis basins. Only 30% of hospital bills are regulated, primarily covering specialist fees and medication. This lack of oversight has led to numerous cases where patients unknowingly pay excessive sum of medical bills for items that should otherwise be reasonably priced.

Hidden hospital charges, often labelled as profiteering, are a widespread problem in Malaysia. For example, a simple medical glove that costs RM5 per pair might be billed at RM20. In most cases, this creates an unjust financial burden on patients who pay these inflated charges without question. The issue arises primarily because patients rarely scrutinise their medical bills, either due to a lack of knowledge or because they assume that everything charged is legitimate. As a result, they end up shouldering excessive costs without the ability to challenge these expenses.

One of the most alarming aspects of hidden hospital charges is the suppression of information. Some hospitals use this tactic to increase their revenue without the patient's awareness. A notable NCCC’s case involves Complainant B and Hospital C, where Complainant B’s daughter, a minor under 12 years old, was diagnosed with a cervical cyst. The hospital proceeded with numerous procedures without informing Complainant B that certain treatments were not covered under his company's insurance.

Complainant B, who relied on a Guarantee Letter issued by his company, believed that all medical expenses would be covered. However, despite knowing which procedures were claimable and which were not, the hospital failed to communicate this crucial information. The bulk of the hospital bill was covered by insurance, yet Complainant B was left with an out-of-pocket expense of RM5,000. Following several rounds of negotiation, the hospital agreed to reduce the amount to RM3,500 after a discount. Nevertheless, Complainant B found this sum to be substantial, reinforcing the reality that many patients face when dealing with unexpected hospital charges.

Malaysia's current healthcare system lacks a clear mechanism for patients to challenge such costs, unlike in countries that have implemented price transparency regulations. For instance, the United States of America has introduced the Hospital Price Transparency Rule on 1 January 2021 which makes it a requirement for hospitals to publicly disclose a list of their standard charges for various services. This rule enables patients to compare hospital prices before seeking treatment and allowing them to make informed financial decisions regarding their medical care. Similarly, Singapore is set to introduce the Health Information Bill in mid-2024, which will improve transparency in healthcare pricing and data management. The country also has a robust regulatory system where medical costs in public hospitals are monitored, and pricing is often published online, allowing patients to compare treatment costs across different hospitals.

Read more: ADDRESSING HIDDEN HOSPITAL CHARGES: ENHANCING TRANSPARENCY IN MALAYSIA'S HEALTHCARE SYSTEM

Brace for recession, but don’t be overly pessimistic, economists advise

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Created: 09 April 2025

Two economists believe the Trump tariffs will have a deep impact on the global economy but a third says other factors will have to come into play to push it to the brink.

TKS Yugendran from Bait Al-Amanah and Nazari Ismail of Universiti Malaya rate the risk of such an outcome at the global level as “very high” but Nazari’s colleague Goh Lim Thye believes it will come to pass only if tension builds up.

Yugendran said the tariffs will raise costs for the average American, leading to a drop in disposable income.

“This raises the possibility of a drop in consumer and business confidence. This will trigger a recession (in the US) that will eventually spread across the globe,” he told FMT Business.

“The US is just hurting itself with the tariffs,” he said, noting that financial institutions such as JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs shared the same sentiment.

Read more: Brace for recession, but don’t be overly pessimistic, economists advise

Include fresh produce, baby essentials under SARA aid, says group

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Created: 09 April 2025

The Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Women and Single Mothers Association says this will support child development.

Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Women and Single Mothers Association president Sheilla Tukimin suggested that beneficiaries of the initiative be allowed to redeem items such as diapers, fish, chicken, and vegetables to meet their daily needs.

Sheilla said the proposal was aimed at supporting children’s growth, focusing on hygiene care, and encouraging healthy eating habits.

“It would be better if the government expanded the range of items that can be redeemed as each family has different needs,” she said.

“If possible, fresh produce should also be allowed as many families in the B40 and M40 groups cook at home. I urge the government to consider this.”

The SARA programme allows recipients to use their MyKads for the purchase of essential items at participating supermarkets and retail stores nationwide.

Read more: Include fresh produce, baby essentials under SARA aid, says group

'BNM perlu larang bank promosi insurans dalam premis, elak perdaya pelanggan' - CAP

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Created: 08 April 2025

GEORGETOWN: Persatuan Pengguna Pulau Pinang (CAP) menggesa Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) melarang institusi kewangan daripada mempromosikan sebarang bentuk insurans, terutama berkaitan pelaburan di dalam premis mereka.

Presidennya, Mohideen Abdul Kader berkata, CAP menerima aduan ada pegawai bank mendekati pelanggan dalam premis bank bagi mempromosikan insurans berkaitan pelaburan sebagai 'pilihan pelaburan yang lebih baik dengan pulangan lebih tinggi berbanding simpanan atau deposit tetap'.

Katanya, dalam kebanyakan kes, pelanggan tidak dimaklumkan mereka sedang ditawarkan insurans berkaitan pelaburan yang memerlukan pembayaran premium dalam tempoh beberapa tahun.

"Dalam satu kes, seorang wanita mendakwa dia sudah memberitahu pegawai bank bahawa dia enggan membeli sebarang insurans kerana hampir bersara dan mempunyai simpanan terhad.

"Pegawai bank itu meyakinkannya bahawa ia hanyalah 'Pelan Simpanan' yang dikunci selama lima tahun dan kerana menyangka ia produk deposit tetap yang baharu, wanita itu bersetuju sebelum diberi satu timbunan dokumen dengan cetakan halus bagi ditandatangani.

Read more: 'BNM perlu larang bank promosi insurans dalam premis, elak perdaya pelanggan' - CAP