04 Julai 2022
SHAH ALAM - Gabungan Persatuan-Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (FOMCA) memaklumkan pihaknya menerima lebih 70 aduan daripada pengguna berhubung kenaikan premium insurans kenderaan.

Pengurus Kanan Pusat Khidmat Aduan Pengguna Nasional (NCCC), Baskaran Sithamparam berkata, minimum kenaikan adalah sebanyak 10 peratus dan ia berbeza bagi setiap syarikat insurans.

“Memang kami ada terima aduan di mana peningkatan berlaku selepas penamatan Perintah Kawalan Pergerakan (PKP) awal Januari tahun ini.

“Kita tidak periksa berapa peratus kenaikan setiap syarikat (insurans) di luar sana, kami hanya merujuk kepada aduan yang diberikan kepada kami,” katanya kepada Sinar Harian pada Ahad.

 

Artikel Penuh : https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/209823/BERITA/Nasional/FOMCA-terima-aduan-kenaikan-premium-insurans?utm_source=telegram&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=FOMCA+terima+aduan+kenaikan+premium+insurans
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June 25, 2022 @ 7:05pm
KUALA LUMPUR: The announcement made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday that market prices for chicken will not be floated was welcomed by traders, consumers and industry players.

At the same time, they hope that the new ceiling prices to be announced by the Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry soon will not burden consumers in dealing with the rising cost of living.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) deputy president Mohd Yusof Abdul said the government's move was seen as an effort to alleviate people's burden as the floating of chicken prices could result in spike in prices.

"At the same time, Fomca hopes that the new ceiling prices can create a win-win situation for everyone. The price should be reasonable for consumers and breeders should be able to cover their production costs."

Mohd Yusof today said as a long-term measure, the government needed to ensure that the country's staple food production was increased so that the supply and self-sufficiency levels were higher and there was no need to rely too much on food imports.


In Perak, chicken trader Muhammad Qusyairi, 30, said the government's move not to float the prices of chicken brought relief to many and he hoped the government would continue to listen to the grouses of the people on issues related to the food supply.

Another chicken trader, Megat Fitri Hazheem, 25, said he hoped the government would ensure that the new ceiling prices were affordable for everyone.

"When the price is too high, customers will resort to buying fish, shrimp and vegetables so we will suffer losses.

June 22, 2022 5:45 PM
PETALING JAYA: Keputusan kerajaan tidak meneruskan harga kawalan siling ayam, telur ayam dan subsidi minyak masak tulen bagi pek kemasan botol mulai 1 Julai ini disifatkan sebagai kegagalan Putrajaya menjaga kebajikan rakyat khususnya berkait sekuriti makanan.

Presiden Gabungan Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (Fomca), N Marimuthu berkata, dasar pertanian negara sejak 1984 yang seharusnya mampu menangani krisis bekalan makanan dalam jangka panjang telah gagal.

“Kerajaan tidak ada pelan jangka panjang berhubung sekuriti makanan dalam negara. Walaupun sekarang kita ada dasar pertanian yang mampan ia tidak cukup kerana kegagalan perancangan di pihak kerajaan.

“Ini semua kegagalan polisi kerajaan, bukan kegagalan rakyat. Kerajaan tak boleh lepas tangan (tarik semula subsidi),” katanya kepada FMT.
Sektor pertanian negara didasari oleh Dasar Pertanian Negara (DPN) 1 1984-1991, DPN 2 1992-1997, DPN 3 1998-2010 dan kemudian Dasar Agromakanan 2011-2020, sebagai kesinambungan DPN 3.

Semalam, Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna (KPDNHEP) memutuskan bahawa harga kawalan siling ayam, telur ayam dan subsidi minyak masak tulen bagi pek kemasan botol tidak akan diteruskan mulai 1 Julai.

Menterinya, Alexander Nanta Linggi berkata, harga barangan itu dijangka meningkat dan akan ditentukan oleh pasaran.

Beliau berkata, tindakan itu dibuat bagi memastikan bekalan bahan makanan dan harganya di pasaran akan lebih stabil dalam tempoh jangka panjang.

Mengulas perkembangan itu, Marimuthu menjangka majoriti harga barangan asas akan meningkat sehingga 20%.

“Tidak mustahil, harga barang asas akan naik sehingga 20% selepas subsidi ini ditarik balik pada 1 Julai nanti… dan mungkin juga akan naik lebih lagi bagi sesetengah barangan,” katanya.

June 14, 2022 @ 7:14pm
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (Fomca) has welcomed the government's decision to implement a new mechanism to manage the ceiling prices of goods.

Chief executive officer T. Saravanan said the government was trying its best to maintain the country's food supply and that the new mechanism would help in this effort.

"The new mechanism for prices of food is a good move. Of course, (the government) has looked into various factors before deciding upon it. The (price mechanism) will follow the market's situation.

"We also saw a statement by the prime minister saying that the government will play an important role in the supply chain of the agro-businesses. It is the correct course of action. However, we must also look into integrity issues to ensure that everything is done accurately and in proper order," he said.

Saravanan said it was a good idea for the government to eliminate the subsidies for chicken suppliers because none of them had approached it for assistance.

He said this was crucial, following claims of a livestock-related cartel and supply manipulation.

He cited the government's decision to ensure that subsidies benefit the people who need them the most.

"In the long term, as the prime minister stated, we must look into the cooperation between the state and federal governments and build an agricultural sector of quality."

Saravanan said Fomca would support the new price mechanism provided that the government maintains the nation's food supply.

June 1, 2022 @ 5:25pm
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) welcomed the move to reintroduce the goods and services tax (GST).

Its president Datuk Dr Marimuthu Nadason agrees the move will directly contribute to increasing the national income.

He told the New Straits Times today that the implementation of GST was effective when it was introduced in 2015.

"But then we scrapped that off and introduced sales and services tax (SST), which had somehow created loopholes for some people to avoid paying their tax reimbursement.

"So by introducing GST again, it would directly help the government, especially in terms of tax collection.

"We see it's as being the most economically developed countries have applied this move and it helps them to build their countries and their people.

"The concept here is that 'if you buy more, you pay more, hence people don't have to worry if they're not in the threshold," he said.

He declined to comment on whether now is the right time for the government to reintroduce GST.

"What I can say is that it will help the national economy, which can later will help to the people," he said.

Reuters quoting a Nikkei report on Tuesday said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob saying that the government was 'keen' on re-introduce GST.

He was reported as saying that the government would target a GST rate that stood in between affordable by the people and not too low to defeat its purpose.

Association chief executive tells restaurateurs to avoid from profiteering off of unstable market factors
12 Jun 2022 8:00AM
KUALA LUMPUR – Businesses have the right to up their prices to make a living but the new rates must be well-founded and reasonable to avoid profiteering off of unstable market factors.

According to the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations chief executive Saravanan Thambirajah, the low market supply of staple items such as poultry and wheat flour explains why food prices at eateries have gone up.

However, he said restaurateurs should not take the opportunity to raise prices without justification at the expense of consumers.

“If there is a reduction in the costs of raw materials and business owners do not lower their prices accordingly, then they are definitely profiteering,” he told The Vibes, adding that recent soaring prices can be attributed to an imbalance in market supply and demand.

Labelling global issues such as export bans enforced by other nations and fluctuations in our currency exchange rate as the cause behind declining supplies of raw materials, he said it would be difficult to predict when the situation will ease up.

He added that the recent execution of the new minimum wage is another business cost employers must bear and possibly plays a role in the increased prices.

It was reported in May that India has banned wheat exports with immediate effect as it seeks to bolster its food security following its wheat production suffering during a heatwave.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced in March the implementation of the revised minimum wage of RM1,500 starting May 1 for companies with five employees or more.

Jun 2, 2022 @ 6:03pm
KUALA LUMPUR: Pengenalan 'kadar harga jalan' atau caj kesesakan wajar dilaksanakan namun kerajaan perlu memastikan perkhidmatan pengangkutan awam mencukupi.

Timbalan Presiden Gabungan Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (FOMCA), Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman, berkata perkhidmatan juga harus diyakini agar pengguna tiada alasan untuk menggunakan kenderaan sendiri ke pusat bandar sehingga menyebabkan kesesakan.

Beliau berkata, caj berkenaan mampu mengawal kesesakan dan ia sudah dilaksanakan oleh negara jiran iaitu Singapura bagi mengurangkan kesesakan, terutama pada waktu puncak.

Bagaimanapun, katanya, sebelum berbuat demikian, kerajaan wajar memastikan Transit Aliran Massa (MRT) 3 yang siap kelak dapat memudahkan orang ramai untuk berurusan di pusat bandar.

"Penyediaan kemudahan feeder bas yang baik di mana pengguna dapat sampai ke destinasi yang ingin dituju dan kemudahan meletakkan kereta di pinggir bandar juga dapat membantu pengguna.

"Jika semua kemudahan sudah mencukupi, saya rasa caj atau bayaran memang wajar dilaksanakan kerana tiada sebab mengapa orang ramai tidak boleh menggunakan pengangkutan awam untuk masuk ke pusat bandar," katanya ketika dihubungi, hari ini.

Mohd Yusof berkata, individu yang membawa kenderaan sendiri untuk ke pusat bandar berbuat demikian kerana ia adalah untuk kemudahan dan keselesaan diri sendiri.

Katanya, golongan itu mampu dan sanggup membayar caj yang ditawarkan demi kepentingan mereka.

May 28, 2022 8:00 AM
PETALING JAYA: Gabungan Persatuan-persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (Fomca) menasihatkan rakyat mengubah corak pembelian bagi mengelakkan berbelanja berlebihan kerana harga barang keperluan dijangka meningkat sehingga 60% pada bulan depan.

Dalam meminta kerajaan terus menyalurkan bantuan kepada rakyat memerlukan, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Fomca, Saravanan Thambirajah berkata, harga barang bukan dikawal sepenuhnya oleh kerajaan, sebaliknya bergantung kepada permintaan dan tawaran.

“Kerajaan telah mencuba sedaya upaya untuk menangani harga barangan berkenaan, tetapi bukan semuanya ditentukan kerajaan kerana ia tiada kuasa sepenuhnya dalam hal itu.

“Harga barangan bergantung kepada permintaan dan penawaran, kini ramai M40 dan B40 terkesan akibat kenaikan harga barangan dan kuasa membeli mereka turut berkurangan,” katanya ketika dihubungi FMT.

“Kerajaan telah mencuba sedaya upaya untuk menangani harga barangan berkenaan, tetapi bukan semuanya ditentukan kerajaan kerana ia tiada kuasa sepenuhnya dalam hal itu.

“Harga barangan bergantung kepada permintaan dan penawaran, kini ramai M40 dan B40 terkesan akibat kenaikan harga barangan dan kuasa membeli mereka turut berkurangan,” katanya ketika dihubungi FMT.

Sumber: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2022/05/28/pengguna-perlu-bijak-kawal-pembelian-elak-berbelanja-lebih-fomca-ingatkan/

Monday, 06 Jun 2022
PETALING JAYA: Despite being irked by the higher prices of food these days, consumers are still throwing out good food.Over 170 complaints on pricey food items have been lodged with the National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) since April.

These grouses include cooked food at eateries, fresh groceries at wet markets and food sold at Ramadan bazaars.

“We received complaints on items such as fish, chicken, cooking oil, vegetables and even labour charges for cutting poultry meat.

“Some grumbled that the price hike for cooking oil was almost 30%.

“Besides that, hawkers have also increased prices of food, with some consumers upset over the smaller portions served compared to the usual,” NCCC senior manager Baskaran Sithamparam told The Star.

With the general hike in food prices, he said consumers were up in arms as they find it hard to cope with the pricier items and shortage of certain products.

Even if the supply stabilises, Baskaran said sellers would unlikely bring down their prices.

“The purchasing power of consumers will be affected, hence they must prioritise their purchases. They need to buy what they need rather than what they want.

“For the time being until the situation gets better with the government’s intervention, they have to curb their expenses,” he advised.

The NCCC, a centre under the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca), assists consumers in their grouses and issues.

May 26, 2022 9:40 AM
PETALING JAYA: Gabungan Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (Fomca) menjangkakan harga barang makanan meningkat walaupun kerajaan dapat menstabilkan bekalan, lantaran beberapa unsur luar kawalan.

Meskipun isu bekalan makanan sedikit sebanyak dapat ditangani dengan pemansuhan Permit Kelulusan (AP), kadar tukaran matawang antara penentu harga barang kerana kebanyakannya diimport, kata ketua pegawai eksekutifnya Saravanan Thambirajah.

“Apabila kerajaan ‘membuka’ AP ini, ia akan dapat meningkatkan bekalan makanan dalam jangka pendek. Namun ini tidak memberi kesan kepada harga barangan kerana ia bergantung kepada kadar tukaran,” katanya kepada FMT.

“Apabila kadar tukaran tinggi, kos barangan meningkat dan harga barangan tidak akan berkurang. Mungkin meningkat sikit.”

Saravanan menyenaraikan beberapa lagi unsur yang mendorong kenaikan harga barang, seperti susut nilai ringgit, bekalan rendah ketika permintaan tinggi apabila sektor ekonomi dibuka selepas PKP dua tahun berakhir, dan peningkatan kos operasi perniagaan.

“Apabila peniaga menghadapi peningkatan kos, mereka akan cuba menaikkan harga barangan bagi menampung kos tersebut,” katanya.

Berdasarkan jangkaan itu, Saravanan menasihati pengguna agar ‘bersedia’ menghadapi peningkatan harga barang, walaupun banyak isi rumah B40 dan M40 ketika ini terkesan dengan kenaikan harga barang dan kuasa membeli yang berkurangan.

“Keadaan sebegini mula berlaku pada awal tahun ini,” katanya.