Panic buying a sign of anxiety: Expert
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08 JUN 2021 / 10:09 H
PETALING JAYA: The picture of a shopping cart spilling over with toilet rolls is likely the most iconic image of panic buying just before a total lockdown.
Rather than a reflection of any fear of a prolonged tummy upset, it is symbolic of anxiety that essential supplies may run out.
Many went on a shopping spree when the first movement control order (MCO) was declared in March last year, said counselling psychologist Dr Gerard Louis
โPeople develop anxiety when there are uncertainties,โ he told theSun.
โThey just didnโt know how long the lockdown would last.โ
However, there was not much panic buying when the second MCO was put in place because people were not as anxious as before.
Now, a significant daily increase in the number of new Covid-19 cases and the sharply rising death toll have brought back the anxiety.
โPeople are now unsure if the lockdown will be extended beyond June 14,โ the Help University dean added.
He said the feeling of uncertainty has fuelled negative emotions such as anxiety and lack of self control.
โWhen a shopper manages to get the item he desires, it alleviates anxiety. Panic buying is some sort of a coping mechanism.โ
Louis said pictures of long queues at supermarkets on social media could have further exacerbated feelings of anxiety and influenced people to binge-buy.
The government and the media could help change this behaviour by sending the right signals.
Harga minyak masak naik lagi, KPDNHEP dirayu jangan โtutup mataโ.
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June 7, 2021 8:00 AM
PETALING JAYA: Kumpulan pengguna mendesak kerajaan segera campur tangan dalam isu kenaikan mendadak harga minyak masak sehingga lebih RM30 bagi 5kg.
Timbalan Presiden Gabungan Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (FOMCA), Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman berkata, Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna (KPDNHEP) perlu membuka mata serta melihat sendiri โkeperitan sebenarโ yang dihadapi pengguna ketika ini.
โSiasatan perlu dilakukan segera bagi mengenal pasti punca sebenar kenaikan ini berlaku dan pada masa sama memastikan ia tidak terus berleluasa,โ katanya kepada FMT.
Malah, beliau berkata, sudah tiba masanya kerajaan mempertimbangkan untuk menetapkan kembali harga siling bagi minyak masak yang dibotolkan dan dimasukkan dalam senarai harga barangan kawalan supaya rakyat tidak terus menderita.
โPengguna sudah tertekan dengan pelaksanaan perintah kawalan pergerakan yang mengehadkan sumber pendapatan mereka, malah dalam tempoh berkurung juga, kita lihat trend penggunaan minyak masak adalah tinggi kerana tempoh berada di rumah lebih lama berbanding sebelum ini.
โTidak patut pengguna terus diseksa dengan pelbagai kenaikan harga barangan asas yang ternyata tidak munasabah,โ katanya.
Tinjauan FMT di beberapa lokasi sekitar Selangor juga mendapati harga minyak masak 5kg ketika ini dijual pada harga RM28.90 hingga 34.50. Harga itu meningkat lebih RM5 setiap botol berbanding RM23.90 hingga RM27.90 pada Ramadan lalu.
Seorang pengurus stor sebuah pasar raya, yang dikenali sebagai Nor Fazilah memberitahu FMT bahawa kenaikan itu berlaku sejak minggu lalu.
โYa, memang ada peningkatan sejak minggu lalu. Pembekal maklumkan ia berpunca daripada kenaikan kos syarikat pengeluar menyebabkan pemborong turut menaikkan harga,โ katanya.
Selain minyak masak sawit, katanya, minyak masak pelbagai jenis juga mengalami sedikit peningkatan, antaranya minyak jagung dan bunga matahari.
Read more: Harga minyak masak naik lagi, KPDNHEP dirayu jangan โtutup mataโ.
Cut down on grocery runs to stay safe
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Sunday, 06 Jun 2021
Malaysians should try to limit trips to buy groceries to reduce the risk of being exposed to Covid-19. Donโt be too fussy about food choices either during such hard times, experts advise.
BUY groceries to last for two weeks, store food in optimum ways and donโt be too fussy about available choices. Such are the words of advice to consumers, so that they can cut down on trips to supermarkets, wet markets and stores to limit exposure to Covid-19 and its variants.
It has become crucial to stay home as much as possible, with the rise of sporadic cases and new infections looming in thousands each day in Malaysia. Shopping online is one of the safer ways to get fresh produce and avoid crowds, but due to high traffic, there are times when orders are delayed or items are unavailable.
If this is not an option, experts urge people to limit their grocery runs to once in two weeks, instead of weekly.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) deputy secretary general Nur Asyikin Aminuddin says itโs possible to buy fresh food that can last up to two weeks. โBut we need to keep them under optimum condition.
โThe freshness of the food will deteriorate with time. But consumers should not be too fussy at such critical times. โMore importantly, we still have food on our table, โ she says. With the emergence of new Covid-19 variants, Nur Asyikin calls on consumers to stop crowding in enclosed areas to stock up on groceries.
โRetailers should also improve their online services for the benefit of customers, โ she adds. Recently, people were seen flocking to supermarkets immediately after the government announced a total lockdown from June 1 to 14.
This is despite the authorities assuring that there is sufficient food supply during the movement control order (MCO) and no shortages in previous lockdowns. On such panic buying, Nur Asyikin urges consumers to change this bad habit, as it can lead to overbuying and food wastage. Concurring that Malaysians shouldnโt be choosy, Nutrition Society of Malaysia president Dr Tee E. Siong says consumers should be prepared to use alternatives.
Senior citizens severely hit by increase in insurance premiums, says Fomca
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June 6, 2021 1:54 PM
PETALING JAYA: A consumer group said senior citizens have been severely affected by the sharp increase in their medical premiums, based on a recent survey it carried out.
And now the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) wants Bank Negara Malaysia to step in to protect the community.
Its secretary-general, Paul Selvaraj, said senior citizens relied on their savings to meet their daily expenses.
And very often, he said, their primary savings are from their Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
Yet, data shows that over 50% of EPF contributors aged above 54 have savings of below RM50,000, while 67% of contributors do not have a minimum of RM240,000.
To compound matters, Selvaraj said the cost of living, especially the cost of food and other essential items, had been increasing substantially.
โThe sharp and unjustified increases by the insurance companies put pressure on senior citizens to lapse in paying their premiums and thus they lose their coverage,โ he said in a statement.
According to the survey, 42% of the respondents saw a 20% to 230% increase on the premiums they had been paying.
And with no regulator to protect the consumersโ well-being, Selvaraj claimed that these insurance companies were free to โincrease their premiums whenever they liked and by how much they likedโ.
These could inveitably lead the elderly to forgo their coverage, he added.
โThis is a cruel approach towards senior citizens. But without protection by the regulators, it appears that consumers, especially the senior citizens, are at the mercy of the insurance companies if they want to maintain their coverage.โ
Selveraj requested that the central bank regulate the industry to ensure greater justice and fairness for the people, especially the vulnerable groups.
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Lack of enforcement causing more environmental damage, says group
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June 5, 2021 10:00 AM
PETALING JAYA: A green group says there has been an increase in land degradation, land grab and illegal logging and mining during the movement control order (MCO) period.
Speaking to FMT in conjunction with World Environment Day today, the Global Environment Centre (GEC) noted that state revenue had taken a hit from economic restrictions, with their budgets also dented due to stimulus packages, increased health expenditure and other measures to battle the pandemic.
โWhere can they find additional money and fill their budget deficits? From leasing land,โ said GEC director Faizal Parish.
โWe understand their budgets are currently focused on health and economic stimulus measures, but some agencies have seen their allocations cut by 50% or 60%, and some donโt have the budget to carry out enforcement.
โCertainly, the MCO limited essential services, and the environment department and local councils were not out there doing their usual checks.
โWe started the year with a bit of optimism, but the reality is that more bad things have been happening due to a lack of patrolling.โ
Faizal said that since logging and plantations were labelled as essential industries, companies in those sectors โwent at itโ without supervision.
โEveryone is using the cover of Covid-19 lockdowns to destroy the environment,โ he said.
However, a spokesman for the forestry department said that while budgets may have had to be trimmed due to the pandemic, enforcement activities had been going on as usual since the start of the first MCO in March 2020.
โThey havenโt stopped,โ the spokesman added.
โThey are still out there checking on illegal logging, patrolling forests and making sure factories in the timber industry donโt take advantage of any situations that may have arisen due to the pandemic.โ
Read more: Lack of enforcement causing more environmental damage, says group
Kerani, guru rugi lebih RM22,000 ditipu Macau Scam
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Jun 2, 2021 @ 2:02pm
Kepala Batas: Kerani dan guru menjadi mangsa terbaharu penipuan licik sindiket Macau Scam yang menyamar sebagai kakitangan sebuah syarikat telekomunikasi serta polis.
Ketua Polis Daerah Seberang Perai Utara, Asisten Komisioner Noorzainy Mohd Noor berkata, mangsa berusia 50 dan 55 tahun tampil membuat laporan polis, semalam berhubung kejadian.
Menurutnya, kerani wanita berusia 55 tahun itu memaklumkan dia dihubungi seorang individu kononnya dari syarikat telekomunasi, baru-baru ini.
"Individu itu mendakwa nama mangsa digunakan untuk pendaftaran internet secara tidak sah, tetapi mangsa menafikannya sebelum panggilan didakwa disambungkan ke Ibu Pejabat Polis Kontinjen (IPK) Seremban untuk membuat aduan dan semakan.
"Sindiket mendakwa mangsa terbabit dalam kes pengubahan wang haram dan akaun mangsa digunakan sebagai menyimpan wang haram terbabit.
"Mangsa yang panik hanya menuruti segala arahan dengan memindahkan wang simpanan berjumlah RM17,800," katanya dalam kenyataan, di sini, hari ini.
Menurutnya, suspek memaklumkan wang itu akan dikembalikan selepas siasatan selesai, namun mangsa diminta membuat bayaran tambahan.
Katanya, mangsa kemudian menceritakan kejadian kepada ahli keluarganya dan menyedari dia diperdaya dengan sindiket penipuan.
Sementara itu, Noorzainy berkata, dalam kes kedua, guru wanita kerugian RM5,000 dipercayai ditipu sindiket sama.
Read more: Kerani, guru rugi lebih RM22,000 ditipu Macau Scam
Bank Negara: Loan borrowers whoโve seen income drop eligible for lower monthly installments
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Wednesday, 02 Jun 2021 12:53 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 โ Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) today reiterated that all loan borrowers who have suffered a drop in income, including salary, allowances, commissions and household incomes, are eligible for a reduction of monthly installments according to the reduced income.
In a series of tweets detailing the eligibility for reduction of monthly installments, the central bank clarified that under the latest loan repayment assistance, the B40 recipients of Bantuan Sara Hidup/Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat can choose either a three-month moratorium or reduction of monthly installments by 50 per cent for six months.
โIndividual borrowers who have lost their jobs can also choose either a three-month moratorium or reduction of monthly installments by 50 per cent for six months,โ added BNM.
The central bank also pointed out that for facilities with approved amounts up to RM150,000, microenterprises as well as small and medium enterprises which were not allowed to operate during the lockdown can also choose either a three-month moratorium or reduction of monthly installments by 50 per cent for six months.
For further information on the loan repayment assistance, visit: โ Bernama
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Moratorium 3 bulan untuk B40, rakyat hilang pekerjaan
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31 May 2021, 9:23 pm
Perdana Menteri, Muhyiddin Yassin hari ini mengumumkan pemberian moratorium automatik selama tiga bulan kepada golongan berpendapatan rendah (B40) dan mereka yang kehilangan pekerjaan susulan pelaksanaan perintah kawalan pergerakan (PKP).
Katanya, inisiatif itu juga ditawarkan kepada perusahaan mikro dan Perusahaan Kecil dan Sederhanan (PKS) yang tidak dibenarkan beroperasi sepanjang tempoh PKP.
"Saya juga mendengar permintaan rakyat supaya kerajaan menimbang semula pemberian moratorium.
"Sehubungan itu, hasil perbincangan bersama Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), industri perbankan memberi jaminan dan komitmen penuh untuk terus memberikan bantuan pembayaran balik pinjaman dan moratorium.
"Oleh itu, bagi semua golongan B40 dan rakyat yang terjejas ekoran kehilangan pekerjaan serta perusahaan mikro dan PKS yang tidak dibenarkan beroperasi dalam tempoh PKP, anda diberi pilihan untuk mendapatkan kelulusan moratorium secara automatik selama 3 bulan atau boleh memilih untuk mendapatkan pengurangan bayaran balik secara ansuran sebanyak 50 peratus selama tempoh 6 bulan," katanya dalam perutusan khas malam ini.
Muhyiddin berkata, inisiatif ini akan dilaksanakan segera pada Jun yang dijangka memanfaatkan lebih lima juta peminjam dengan nilai sehingga RM30 bilion.
"Insha-Allah, industri perbankan akan memberikan maklumat lebih terperinci berhubung perkara ini mulai esok. Saya berharap, pengumuman moratorium automatik ini dapat memberi sedikit kelegaan kepada peminjam institusi perbankan.
"Para peminjam hanya perlu menghubungi bank masing-masing untuk mendapat manfaat bantuan ini," katanya.
Muhyiddin sebelum ini mengumumkan penutupan penuh sektor sosial dan ekonomi atau 'total lockdown' di seluruh negara selama 14 hari bermula 1 Jun.
Susulan itu, pelbagai pihak menggesa kerajaan mengumumkan pakej bantuan khas termasuk moratorium pinjaman bank kepada rakyat yang terkesan.
Sumber:
Muhyiddin: Loan repayment aid, moratorium worth RM30b to benefit five million borrowers
- Details
Monday, 31 May 2021 10:32 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 โ Loan repayment assistance and a moratorium worth up to RM30 billion starting June 2021 is expected to benefit more than five million borrowers, said Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Muhyiddin said that as a result of discussions with Bank Negara Malaysia, the banking industry gave full assurance and commitment to continue to provide loan repayment assistance and moratorium.
โTherefore, for all B40 groups and people affected by job loss as well as micro-enterprises and SMEs that are not allowed to operate during the movement control order (MCO), you are given the option to obtain a moratorium approval automatically for three months,โ he said when announcing the Pemerkasa Plus assistance package worth RM40 billion here tonight.
โInsha-Allah, the banking industry will provide more detailed information on this matter starting tomorrow. I hope, the announcement of this automatic moratorium can give some relief to borrowers of banking institutions,โ he said.
Muhyiddin said the government would also launch the Bus and Taxi Hire Purchase Rehabilitation Scheme this week with an allocation of RM1 billion.
He said that through the scheme, eligible bus and taxi operators can get a loan moratorium of up to 12 months and extend the loan period up to 36 months.
โI recommend that government agencies and companies offer deferred loan repayments as well as discounts on business premises rental,โ he said.
Mara will also continue the Mara Prihatin Peace of Mind programme which is open until July 31, 2021 where borrowers can apply online to reschedule education loan repayments or moratorium, he said.
For Mara entrepreneurs affected by the economic downturn, a 30 per cent discount on the rental of business premises will be given for the months of May to July 2021. โ Bernama
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Fomca demands moratorium, salary cut for MPs ahead of lockdown
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May 29, 2021 @ 5:56pm
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) has demanded the government to reinstate a blanket loan moratorium for six months as the country goes into total lockdown next week.
Apart from that, Fomca president Datuk Dr Marimuthu Nadason called the government to halt salary payment for members of parliament and state assemblymen during the lockdown period.
"Since the Parliament and state assemblies are not functioning, why should MPs and state assemblymen be paid for idling on their couch at home?
"Instead, the government should provide at least RM3,000 financial aid for every B40 (bottom 40 per cent) household for six months. Similar assistance should be given to M40 (middle 40 per cent) households as well.
"Utility bills should also not be raised for these households.
"Taxpayers must be exempted from paying income tax as their jobs are hanging in the balance due to the government's short-sighted decisions.
"Likewise, individuals who sell their properties during this period must be exempted from taxes," he told the New Straits Times today.
Marimuthu also urged for bankruptcy proceedings to be deferred at the moment.
Instead, he called for the government to expedite the Covid-19 vaccination drive and provide students with iPad for them to follow home-based teaching and learning (PdPR).
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