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6 November 2020
FOMCA is extremely disappointed that the Poisons (Amendment) Bill 2019 that would enhance patients’ protection has been withdrawn. It appear that the government is not concerned to increase patient protection or patient welfare.
Previous governments had to some extent protected patients by regulating how much doctors could charge patients, as healthcare is a right not a commodity.
However, the previous health minister decided to eliminate the price ceilings and thus there are no price controls of how much patients can be charged. Doctors could charge as they please. Patients lost their protection. Thus the protection provided by setting a ceiling on consultation charges was removed – patient’s rights were trampled.
In addition, one of the promises made was that while doctors could charge as they pleased, with no price ceiling, they would be transparent in their patient charges, clearly indicating the breakdown of charges for consultation and for each of the medicines prescribed. Each patient would then know exactly how much he is being charged for both consultation and for each medicine that he has been given.
With transparency in medication costs, the patient could then make a choice on whether he wanted to purchase from the clinic or a pharmacy. For convenience, many may choose to buy from the clinic; while other more cost conscious consumers may choose to compare prices to get the best value for money.
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6 Nov 2020
CONSUMERS and workers are facing severe disruptions in their lives during this Covid-19 crisis. The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) hopes that Budget 2021 will address the three key issues of income, increasing costs of living, and consumer empowerment.
The most serious issue consumers face as workers is unemployment and reduction in income. According to the Social Security Organisation, 90,000 workers have lost their jobs since the crisis began.
Another study indicates that 200,000 workers in the informal sector – such as contract workers, maids and hawkers – may fall into poverty due to loss of or reduction in income. A study by a think tank indicates that more than two million may lose their jobs eventually.
Thus the government’s priority should be to facilitate a rapid economic recovery, ensure job creation to absorb both those who have lost their jobs as well as new entrants into the job market. It is estimated that at least one million well-paying jobs need to be created to do this.
For those who have lost their jobs, opportunities for training and upskilling need to be made available. For those struggling to get new jobs, the government needs to provide direct financial support for a time to ensure that they can maintain a minimum quality of life. In fact, it is high time that the government established a comprehensive social safety net to ensure that everyone is assured a minimum quality of life.
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Government should make it a priority to provide affordable digital accessibility to remote and rural areas, say experts.
05 NOV 2020
PETALING JAYA: Just like water and electricity, internet access is now regarded as a basic necessity.
The point was made clear as far back as 2011 by the United Nations, but until today, access to the digital world is still confined only to those lucky enough to be living largely in urban areas, and have the money for costly devices.
In Malaysia, remote areas such as the interiors of Sabah and Sarawak, are still very far behind on the road to adequate internet accessibility.
This is a deficiency that has to be addressed quickly, considering that everyday life is now almost totally dependent on the internet, according to Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) chief executive officer Datuk Dr Paul Selvaraj.
“Without the internet, people’s access to many needs such as education is hampered,” he said.
Selvaraj said access to the internet has never been more crucial than now given the restrictions on normal life brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Schools are closed, and classrooms are now in the digital realm. Serious efforts must be expended on ensuring that the internet is accessible to everyone and not just those in the middle to upper class,” he told theSun.
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November 4, 2020 2:25 pm
*Artikel ini dibawa oleh Fomca dengan kerjasama Jawatankuasa Tetap Hal Ehwal Pengguna Selangor
Bermula dari tahun 2011, Gabungan Persatuan-persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (Fomca) merasakan bahawa literasi kewangan harus diberikan keutamaan di dalam agenda nasional.
Maka bulan Oktober adalah sebagai Bulan Literasi Kewangan, di mana kami menggalakkan setiap pengguna harus menilai tahap kewangan mereka dan perlu mengetahui langkah-langkah untuk menguruskan perancangan kewangan dan meningkatkan kemampuan pengurusan kewangan mereka.
Data mengenai tingkah laku kewangan pengguna di Malaysia begitu membimbangkan. Sebanyak enam juta pekerja di kawasan bandar memperoleh gaji di bawah tangga gaji yang dicadangkan oleh Bank Negara Malaysia yang ditakrifkan sebagai gaji minimum oleh pengguna untuk menjalani taraf hidup yang bersesuaian.
Malah, simpanan mereka juga rendah. Dilaporkan bahawa 88 peratus isi rumah di Malaysia tidak mempunyai simpanan, sementara 62 peratus pengguna dilaporkan tidak mempunyai simpanan cukup.
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3 Nov 2020, 5:25 pm
Since 2011, when Fomca strongly felt that financial literacy should be given priority on the national agenda, it declared October as the Financial Literacy Month, whereby at least during this month, every consumer should evaluate his financial health as well as take measures to enhance his financial planning and management capabilities.
The data on the financial behaviour of Malaysian consumers are worrying. Incomes are low. Six million workers in urban areas earn below the living wage as proposed by Bank Negara Malaysia which it defines as the minimum wage that consumers need to live a minimum acceptable standard of living.
Savings are low. It was reported that 88 percent of Malaysian households reported zero savings while 62 percent of consumers reported that they have not saved enough.
Household debts are high. In 2019, household debt to gross domestic product (GDP) was 82.7 percent. A high household debt often means that households are vulnerable to financial shocks. At the micro-level, 47 percent of Malaysian consumers are classified as excessively over-indebted, that is their debt payments are more than 30 percent of their income.
Further, a study on young workers reported that 37 percent were spending more than they earn. Thus Malaysian consumers were having low incomes, low savings and high debts.
Read more: LETTER | Empowering consumers through financial literacy
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2 November 2020
SHAH ALAM - Gabungan Persatuan-Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (FOMCA) meminta kerajaan meneruskan Pakej Rangsangan Ekonomi Prihatin Rakyat (Prihatin) dalam pelan Belanjawan 2021 yang akan dibentangkan pada 6 November ini.
Timbalan Presidennya, Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman berkata, kesinambungan bantuan Prihatin amat penting bagi membantu rakyat yang berdepan pelbagai masalah akibat penularan koronavirus (Covid-19).
“Wabak ini dijangka sehingga tahun depan. Jadi, bantuan kepada golongan terjejas perlu diteruskan seperti melanjutkan tempoh moratorium dan pemberian e-dompet,” katanya ketika dihubungi Sinar Harian semalam.
Dalam pada itu, Mohd Yusof turut meminta kerajaan memberi perhatian kepada peniaga bagi memastikan kelangsungan ekonomi negara.
Menurutnya, kerajaan ketika ini berdepan pelbagai tuntutan mendesak dalam mengagihkan perbelanjaannya seperti usaha memenuhi keperluan sektor kesihatan yang sedang menangani penularan Covid-19.
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16 Oktober 2020 | 10.54 am
Although the Price Control and Anti Profiteering Act was amended in Parliament in August 2017 to make single pricing mandatory, the culture of ++ in pricing is still widely prevalent in Malaysia.
This culture of pricing ++ must be eliminated. If in the restaurant, the menu states RM 15 for a product, then that is what the consumer should pay. The customer should not need pay extra; that is plus 10% service charge and 6% service tax, resulting in actual payment of RM 17.40, an addition of RM 2.40 or 16% above the advertised price.
This also includes hotels and all other products and services. Hidden prices should be eliminated. The consumer should have clear knowledge of the actual price, so that he can decide accurately whether he can afford and wants to purchase at that price, or maybe check out other competitor’s prices to see if he can get a better deal.
According to the amendments of the Price Control and Anti Profiteering Act, Section 10B and 10C of the Act mentions that a trader must display, advertise, publish or quote the prices of goods and services that includes all Government taxes, duties and charges. That is to put simply, what you see is what you pay; there are no additional charges in the bill.
Read more: Time to Enforce Single Pricing in Malaysia - FOMCA
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Oktober 18, 2020 @ 10:49am
KUALA LUMPUR: Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor) perlu mempertimbangkan pemberian ganti rugi kepada pelanggan yang terjejas setiap kali berlaku gangguan bekalan air.
Presiden Forum Air Malaysia, Saral James Maniam, berkata ganti rugi adalah wajar kerana pengguna terpaksa berdepan pelbagai kesulitan sepanjang gangguan bekalan kemudahan berkenaan.
"Inilah masanya Air Selangor mempertimbangkan pemberian ganti rugi akibat gangguan air kepada penggunanya. Situasi yang sering dihadapi pengguna air di Selangor dan Kuala Lumpur begitu mengecewakan.
"Tambahan pula ramai terkesan kerana kehilangan pekerjaan, pendapatan dan peluang perniagaan disebabkan pandemik COVID-19. Dengan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan Bersyarat (PKPB) ketika ini, penduduk terbeban pula dengan gangguan bekalan air," katanya dalam satu kenyataan, hari ini.
Kebelakangan ini, gangguan bekalan air beberapa kali berlaku di sekitar Lembah Klang, terbaru pada malam tadi apabila Loji Rawatan Air Sungai Selangor Fasa 1 (LRA SSP1) terpaksa dihenti tugas separa untuk kerja-kerja pembaikan paip menyalurkan bekalan air terawat yang bocor.
Read more: Air Selangor diminta pertimbang ganti rugi kepada pelanggan
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October 13, 2020 7:45 AM
PETALING JAYA: Health groups and consumer advocates have called for greater regulation of unregistered hand sanitisers that can be purchased easily online, and said there’s no guarantee these products are effective or safe.
Hand sanitisers are considered a cosmetic product, and as such must be registered with the health ministry through the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) before being sold.
However, a number of unregistered products are available for purchase at online retailers for low prices, which are often displayed alongside approved products from well-known brands.
Dr Subramaniam Muniandy, president of the Malaysian Medical Association, told FMT that it “can be a challenge to determine if the products come from a reliable and trusted source,” when buying online.
“Consumers can put their health in serious danger if they buy fake products or products that do not match what was advertised.” He added that it’s important for customers to check if a product is registered before buying anything online.
Read more: Groups call for action against online sale of unregistered health products
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DATE OF RELEASE: 5 OCTOBER 2020
PRESS RELEASE: SMART METER CONSUMERS RAISING CONCERN ABOUT THE DEVICE AND THE INSTALLATION PROCEDURE OF CHANGING
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) and its affiliate the Water and Energy Consumers Associations of Malaysia (WECAM) has been receiving numerous enquiries and complaints on the new Smart Meter which have been installed by the National Electricity provider. Many consumers have been raising their concern on sudden sharp increase in their electricity bills and also the procedures on how to change and how it will impact them.
Currently, the utility provider is in the midst of changing the old meter to SMART meter. It is a usual program that this utility provider replaces aged meter which is beyond accuracy lifespan. There are two type of meters with different accuracy life span: - Electromechanical meter life span is 15 years while Electronic meter is 10 years. The main objective is to ensure accurate meter reading and billing.
The main possible reason for the spike in the electricity bill could be due to the aged meter used earlier which was not recording accurately due to, Faulty meter, Degradation of the mechanical components in the meter or Tampered meter. The replacement of aged meter is a utility prudent practice and it is in accordance to the Electricity Supply Act 1990 (for accurate billing).
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