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MELAKA: Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat Malaysia (JBPM) mengenal pasti 19 lokasi panas atau ‘hotspot’ sebagai kawasan berisiko tinggi berlaku kes lemas sepanjang cuti perayaan Aidilfitri ini.Ketua Pengarah JBPM, Datuk Mohammad Hamdan Wahid, berkata kebanyakan lokasi panas itu terletak di pantai timur seperti Air Terjun Sekayu, Terengganu; Pantai Nipah, Bachok; dan Muara Tok Bali, Pasir Puteh, Kelantan.“Kesemua 19 lokasi itu disenarai berdasarkan kekerapan berlakunya kejadian lemas melebihi lima orang dalam tempoh tiga tahun ini.“Tahun lalu sahaja, ada kira-kira 400 kematian direkodkan akibat lemas membabitkan aktiviti air di seluruh negara,” katanya pada sidang media pada Majlis Jalinan Mesra Ramadan 2019 di Balai Bomba dan Penyelamat Bukit Katil, di sini, malam tadi.

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The decision to rent out your home or apartment can be an exciting one. It allows you to own more than one property, and hopefully enough money to cover the monthly payment – if you don’t own the rental property outright – as well as make a bit of additional income.But the reality of being a landlord is sometimes not quite as exciting as the idea of it. So before you decide to rent out a property, you’ll need to understand what your tenant could expect of you, what the renter’s rights are, what your rights and obligations are as a landlord and the steps you would need to take in the event that there’s a landlord and tenant dispute.

This is especially crucial in Malaysia, where there’s currently no official landlord-tenant law. Though the government is in the process of writing a law that details the rights of both landlords and tenants that should be enacted in 2020, until then, you’ll need to know what standards are currently affected and the processes in place for disputes.For example, even if your tenant does not pay rent on time, you cannot evict them without taking them to court. Surprised? Then read on for more information on landlord rights!

Landlord Obligations

There’s more to being a landlord than simply finding a person who’s willing to pay you to live in your property. There are things your tenant will expect you to provide and things they’ll expect you to pay for – but are those expectations or obligations?Due to the current lack of an overarching tenancy agreement in Malaysia, the official obligations aren’t easy to pin down. However, there are standards that have come to be accepted, and these will be outlined in the tenancy agreement. This is a crucial document in the relationship between landlords and tenants, as it outlines both your obligations as a landlord and your tenant’s obligations as a renter.

Generally, the landlord is obligated to pay the annual property taxes; to insure the property and pay premiums; to provide appliances that are in good condition; and to provide basic necessities such as lights, cabinets, air conditioners and curtains. As for costs associated with the property, the landlord usually pays the property maintenance fees and for any repairs not caused by the tenant, while the tenant will pay for utilities such as electricity, water and cable/internet.Pro tip: Keep a detailed inventory of all the items you’ve provided to your tenant. Take photos of all the items before the tenant moves in so that you have them on file and you can refer to them in the event of requested repairs or damage.

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KUALA LUMPUR: Pengendali terminal memerlukan dana yang lebih besar untuk memenuhi kriteria gred A sebagaimana ditetapkan Agensi Pengangkutan Awam Darat (APAD), susulan pelaksanaan lesen terminal dan stesen pengangkutan awam di seluruh negara.Pengurus Besar Melaka Sentral Sdn Bhd, Md Yusof Abdullah, berkata pihaknya selaku pengendali terminal swasta menyambut baik langkah APAD melesenkan terminal, malah pihaknya kini sedang menaik taraf sistem jualan tiket bersepadu (CTS).Bagaimanapun katanya, pihaknya baru dimaklumkan mengenai penentuan gred A, B dan C di setiap terminal.

Katanya, untuk memenuhi kriteria gred A, pihak terminal memerlukan dana lebih besar dan masa lebih panjang kerana ia membabitkan kerja naik taraf dalam skala besar, contohnya terminal perlu menyediakan tempat letak kenderaan berbumbung.“Kriteria lain antaranya menyediakan fasiliti laluan khas orang kurang upaya (OKU) dan kemudahan tempat rehat untuk keselesaan pemandu bas.“Setakat ini sumber pendapatan kami daripada operasi terminal dan pusat beli belah tidak mencukupi untuk menampung kos naik taraf berkenaan dalam masa terdekat, dan amat berharap bantuan daripada pihak kerajaan negeri atau Persekutuan sebagaimana pelaksanaan Terminal Bersepadu Sentral (TBS).“Untuk makluman, kadar sewa yang dikenakan ke atas peniaga pusat beli-belah berkenaan adalah rendah berbanding pusat beli-belah lain bagi membantu peniaga Bumiputera di premis itu,” katanya kepada BH.Beliau berkata demikian sebagai mengulas tindakan APAD untuk melesenkan lebih 120 terminal dan stesen pengangkutan awam seluruh negara, bertujuan meningkatkan mutu perkhidmatan serta mengawal caj dikenakan pengguna.

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IN March, the cost of food increased by 1.1 per cent compared with the same month the previous year.This is a common phenomenon in developing economies where the proportion of income spent on food is high compared with developed economies.Engel’s law states that as income rises, the proportion of income spent on food falls, even if absolute expenditure on food rises. Thus, low-income food-deficit consumers who are faced with rapid food-price inflation have little room to adjust their expenditure patterns away from non-necessary items.An increase in food prices markedly reduces the real income of such groups.The increase in food prices is a boon and bane to developing economies.Rising food prices affect everyone, but the degree of hardship on a specific population depends on five factors: income levels, the products that comprise a population’s consumption basket, whether they are net foodsellers or buyers, the share of food in total expenditure and the degree of price transmission from world markets to local markets.

These factors raise two questions: what causes food prices to increase and what can we do to reduce the negative impact of price hikes.The cause of rising food prices is due to supply and demand, supported by factors such as trade policies, energy prices and supply chain inefficiency.Important supply factors include high energy costs, crop failures and a drop in farm productivity. Energy costs act as supply-push factors by increasing production costs.In terms of demand, the trends in food consumption have seen an increase in the consumption of higher-value protein foods such as meat, fish and milk.The demand for staple food among the lower quintile of the population, however, has increased as the income elasticity of this group is high. Consumers also demand new food products, new packaging, convenience, new delivery systems, and safer and more nutritious foods.

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KUALA LUMPUR: Soon travellers purchasing airline tickets will not have to deal with the unwelcome surprise of hidden charges now that the Malaysian Aviation Commission has amended the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016 (MACPC).The updated MACPC now requires airlines to publish the final price of the airfare in advertising and promotion materials and at points of sale.

Airlines must disclose the prices after adding other charges, such as government-imposed tax and fees, fees prescribed by the law and fuel surcharge.This eliminates hidden charges like administrative fees and card payment charges.

This will be enforced starting June 1.The new rules also call for refunds on flight tickets for passengers who cannot make their flights within 30 days of a request being made, even for a ticket purchased through a travel agent.The refund must include passenger service charges, plus other taxes, charges and fees.If a ticket is non-refundable, passengers are allowed to get a refund on the airport tax and airlines are permitted to charge a maximum of 5% processing fee.

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PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry needs to take serious steps to address growing concerns over mental health issues, says social activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

Lee, who is patron of the Malaysia Psychiatric Association, suggested that insurance coverage be made available for mental healthcare and treatment."There is a need to initiate the subject.

Such an initiative should come from the Health Ministry," he said, adding that such coverage had been offered in Singapore.Lee also said NGOs supportive of mental health issues could play a role in explaining the need for insurance coverage for mental health problems by sending a memorandum to both the government and insurance association.

Lee also lauded the Health Ministry's support for better mental health by improving the country's mental health assessment system through programmes like Health Mind for secondary school students, as well as the Suicide Prevention Initiatives.

"Nevertheless more improvements are required, mainly through collaborative efforts among the communities and governmental and non-governmental agencies," he said in a statement on Wednesday (May 22).Based on statistics from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2015, Lee said about 4.2 million Malaysians aged 16 and above, or 29.2% of the population, suffered from various mental problems.This was an increase of 11.2% compared to 2006.


Lee added a survey done in 2017 on mental health among youths also revealed that one of five adolescents felt depressed; two out of five felt anxious; 11.2% had suicidal ideas and 10.1% had attempted suicide.

 

Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2019/05/22/lam-thye-consider-insurance-coverage-for-mental-health/#AU25x9uZPOWMXfIH.99

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KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 — Malaysia, which has become the dumping ground for the world’s plastic waste, will send back non-recyclable plastic scrap to the developed countries that sent it there, its environment minister said today.Malaysia last year became the leading alternative destination for plastic scrap after China banned imports of such waste, disrupting the flow of more than seven million tonnes of plastic scrap a year.Dozens of recycling factories cropped up in Malaysia, many without an operating licence, and residents complained of environmental damage.Most of the plastic scrap coming into the country is contaminated and low-quality plastic from developed countries that is non-recyclable.

Now Malaysia has begun sending back the waste to its country of origin, said Yeo Bee Yin, Malaysia’s minister of energy, technology, science, climate change and environment.“Developed countries must be responsible in what they send out,” Yeo told Reuters.She said some of the plastic scrap sent to Malaysia was in violation of the Basel Convention, a UN treaty on the trade of plastic waste and its disposal.Malaysia has already sent five containers of contaminated plastic waste that was smuggled into the country back to its source, Spain, she said. The minister did not identify the smugglers but said an investigation was ongoing.More non-recyclable plastic will be sent back to its source next week, she said.

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ONLINE accessibility to booking accommodations and flights has made travelling a breeze for holiday-seekers everywhere.Today, information is right at one’s finger tips and it is second nature for travellers to scour the Internet when making travel plans.Gone are the days of making room reservations via the telephone as the digital age gives travellers the ease of looking for information on room rates, promotional prices and reviews on the Internet.Travellers also habitually turn to global online hospitality services such as Airbnb and online travel agencies (OTA) such as Booking.com, Agoda and Traveloka for promotional deals – a trend that has been growing since 2013.However, instead of complementing small industry players, such online services have impacted the presence of budget hotels in the hospitality industry.

Tough competition

Malaysia Budget Hotel Association (MyBHA) said budget hotels have faced stiff competition from the online platforms over the last two years.MyBHA Kuala Lumpur chapter president Kenneth Oh said budget hotels (with three-star ratings and below), recorded a drop of 15% to 20% in revenue due to competition.“There are about 500 budget hotels in Kuala Lumpur, and some have been suffering losses in the past two years.“This has resulted in some operators selling off their properties due to lack of business,” he said.Leong and Oh say budget hotels in Kuala Lumpur are suffering due to hefty taxes levied upon them and lack of supervision of players in the hospitality industry. -filepicBudget hotels are struggling for several reasons.Aside from an oversupply of hotels in the city and lower tourism arrivals last year, Airbnb and OTA contributed to the competition while tourism tax and Sales and Service Tax (SST) further added to the burden of budget hotel operators.

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Saban tahun isu pembaziran makanan hangat diperkatakan ketika Ramadan, yang meningkat 15 hingga 20 peratus berbanding bulan biasa. Antara punca didorong faktor gaya hidup mewah dan pembelian mengikut hawa nafsu sehingga tidak dapat membezakan di antara keperluan dan kehendak.Tidak hairanlah dilaporkan isi rumah atau keluarga adalah penyumbang terbesar keseluruhan 16,650 tan pembuangan sisa makanan di negara ini setiap hari.Pertubuhan Makanan dan Pertanian Dunia (FAO) melaporkan, 21,000 orang meninggal dunia setiap hari akibat kebuluran dan kelaparan, manakala 795 juta orang atau 10 peratus daripada penduduk dunia menghadapi masalah kekurangan zat seolah-olah tidak memberi apa-apa kesan.

Walaupun Malaysia tiada masalah kebuluran, kelaparan tersembunyi wujud tanpa disedari. Dianggarkan 63.1 peratus dan 33.6 peratus golongan B40 (golongan berpendapatan rendah) berada di bandar dan luar bandar.Golongan ini yang terdiri daripada mereka yang mempunyai pendidikan rendah, kurang kemahiran dan bergantung sepenuhnya kepada faktor alam (luar bandar) dalam mencari sesuap nasi. Tiada pekerjaan sampingan yang dilakukan mengakibatkan golongan ini terus rasa tertekan dalam arus pembangunan.Tambahan pula kenaikan kos sara hidup turut memberi kesan kepada kebolehdapatan makanan di kalangan golongan ini. Jika di luar bandar, seandainya mereka terputus bekalan makanan, golongan ini boleh mengutip pucuk kayu dan memancing atau menjala ikan sebagai sumber makanan, tetapi bagi golongan B40 di bandar apa yang harus mereka lakukan.

Berdasarkan kajian, golongan ini mengutamakan makanan kepada anak-anak, membeli barang keperluan di kedai harga murah dan membeli pakaian terpakai sebagai satu strategi berdaya tahan untuk memastikan bekalan makanan isi rumah terjamin.Situasi ini memberi kesan kepada keselamatan makanan sama ada pada peringkat isi rumah mahupun individu dengan pencapaian keselamatan makanan akan tercapai apabila semua orang, pada setiap masa, mempunyai akses fizikal dan ekonomi kepada makanan yang mencukupi, selamat serta berkhasiat bagi memenuhi keperluan diet dan pemilihan makanan untuk kehidupan sihat.

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MEMANG difahami mengapa terdapat aduan sebahagian kecil pengguna elektrik di Melaka yang berasakan penggunaan meter pintar menyebabkan bil mereka lebih tinggi berbanding meter lama. Sesiapapun pasti tertanya-tanya jika kos meningkat tanpa sebab. Justeru, syarikat utiliti seperti Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) memang perlu sangat memberi perhatian terhadap aduan pengguna, tambahan pula mereka adalah pelopor penggunaan meter pintar di Malaysia.

Kepuasan hati pengguna yang terkesan mungkin menjejaskan rancangan untuk meluaskan pemasangannya ke negeri-negeri lain. Seperti produk-produk lain, reviu daripada kumpulan pelopor selalunya menjadi penanda aras kepada penerimaan pengguna yang lebih meluas. Dilaporkan ketika ini lebih 250,00 kediaman di Melaka sudah pun dipasang meter pintar. Daripada jumlah berkenaan, satu peratus kediaman membuat laporan kepada TNB. Mungkin kini, hampir semuanya sudah diambil tindakan, termasuk menerusi semakan penggunaan meter di lokasi. TNB turut memaklumkan bahawa pulangan wang akan diberikan jika bacaan meter menunjukkan lebihan bil yang tidak wajar berlaku.

Sejak dakwaan meter pintar dikatakan menyebabkan bil elektrik lebih tinggi secara tidak munasabah tular di Facebook bulan lalu, TNB tidak duduk diam dan mengambil cakna dakwaan berkenaan termasuk melayani aduan selain mengadakan pertemuan dan memberi penerangan kepada Ketua Menteri Melaka, Adly Zahari dan ahli EXCO negeri serta Suruhanjaya Tenaga. Isu ini turut diulas Menteri Tenaga, Sains, Teknologi, Alam Sekitar dan Perubahan Iklim, Yeo Bee Yin yang menyifatkannya sebagai kes individu, berdasarkan peratusan jumlah aduan yang diterima.

TNB turut mengumumkan penubuhan pasukan khas untuk menangani aduan mengenai meter pintar. Pasukan khas itu akan memperinci dan memberi penjelasan secara bersemuka kepada pengguna bagi menyelesaikan aduan yang diterima. “Pengguna meter pintar yang mempunyai aduan dinasihatkan tidak khuatir kerana TNB bersedia memberi maklumat dan langkah penyelesaian, termasuk mengkreditkan lebihan bayaran dalam bil mereka jika lebihan caj berlaku,” kata TNB dalam kenyataan berhubung penubuhan pasukan khas itu.

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