Don’t complain about food prices, grow veggies: CAP
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27 Jun 2022 12:16PM
GEORGE TOWN – To grow or not to grow? That is the question two civil society groups cannot agree on.
Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) is telling Malaysians to stop complaining about food prices and start growing vegetables, while another group is labelling that idea as “not feasible”.
“Stop complaining. Now is the time to grow (your produce), especially vegetables and fruits in available empty spaces,” said CAP urban farming coordinator N. V. Subbarow.
He also urged consumers, especially housewives and urban farmers, to plant more vegetables, fruits, and herbs to overcome the burden of price hikes.
“They can grow produce in their houses or any vacant areas near their residential areas.”
For example, Subbarow said, CAP managed to grow ash gourds in a small plot of land, harvesting 25 gourds after three months.
“Each ash gourd weighed around 8kg to 10kg. At present the market price is RM3 per kilo. We may get another 20 ash gourds for the next two months.
“We are using a lot of composting materials for this. It all depends on how healthy the soil is. It is time to grow and not to complain.”
But the Centre for Integrity, Professional Governance and Advancement president Myocho Kan said the concept is idealistic but impractical.
He said those living in high-rise buildings are governed by building codes that do not allow for the growing of plants in open spaces, or inside their units.
“If left unattended, it becomes a public nuisance. Then, there is the question of seeking approval from the local authorities to use vacant public spaces as the government may not be landowners.”
Read more: Don’t complain about food prices, grow veggies: CAP
Stok penimbal makanan perlu minimum 65 peratus
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27 Jun 2022
SHAH ALAM - Bekas Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz menegaskan kerajaan sepatutnya memastikan stok penimbal bekalan sekuriti makanan negara seperti beras dan ayam, disimpan pada tahap minimum 65 peratus daripada penggunaan rakyat di sepanjang tempoh krisis.
Jelas Rafidah yang juga bekas Menteri Perusahaan Awam, langkah strategik berkenaan penting bagi memastikan rakyat ketika ini tidak terbeban dengan krisis sekuriti makanan dan masalah inflasi luar biasa disebabkan senario konflik ekonomi ‘bertindih’.
Tegasnya, pada saat negara berdepan kesan pandemik Covid-19 dan implikasi ekonomi akibat konflik Rusia-Ukraine secara serentak, masalah utama yang betul-betul harus ditangani kerajaan adalah isu sekuriti makanan, sekuriti ubat-ubatan serta peralatan perubahan untuk hospital serta klinik kerajaan.
Artikel Penuh : https://www.sinarharian.com.my/article/208809/BERITA/Nasional/Stok-penimbal-makanan-perlu-minimum-65-peratus
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Govt's decision not to float chicken prices brings relief to many - Fomca
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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.
Read more: Govt's decision not to float chicken prices brings relief to many - Fomca
Hapus subsidi isyarat kerajaan gagal, kata persatuan pengguna - Fomca
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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.
Read more: Hapus subsidi isyarat kerajaan gagal, kata persatuan pengguna - Fomca
Bahang peningkatan kos sara hidup makin terasa
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24 Jun 2022
RAMALAN pemerhati dan pakar ekonomi tentang inflasi yang akan berlaku lebih serius pada pertengahan tahun 2022 sudah mula terasa bahangnya.
Pengumuman Menteri Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna (KPDNHEP), Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi berkaitan pemansuhan subsidi minyak masak tulen botol dua hingga lima kilogram dan kawalan harga siling ayam serta telur ayam bermula 1 Julai, menguatkan lagi bahangnya.
Rakyat yang sudah sedia tertekan berikutan kesan pandemik Covid-19, akan terus berdepan dengan kos sara hidup lebih tinggi pada masa akan datang apabila harga makanan dan bahan mentah sudah mula naik sedikit demi sedikit.
Golongan M40 akan lebih terus terkesan kerana tidak lagi menerima bantuan langsung daripada kerajaan.
Ada pekerja yang gaji mereka masih di takuk lama dan ada yang terpaksa berhadapan dengan pemotongan gaji tetapi perlu berhadapan dengan bebanan kos sara hidup yang memeritkan.
Paling membimbangkan, kenaikan harga barangan negara ini dijangka kekal tinggi untuk tempoh beberapa bulan akan datang berikutan beberapa faktor pendorong kenaikan kos terutama barangan import.
Dalam situasi sukar seperti ini ada suara-suara yang meminta supaya Pilihan Raya Umum ke-15 (PRU15) diadakan segera kerana pada pandangan sesetengah pemimpin politik ia adalah jalan terbaik bagi menyelesaikan masalah rakyat.
Bagi mereka, dengan situasi kerajaan yang kini dianggap berada dalam keadaan kurang stabil, adalah sukar untuk kerajaan melakukan tindakan konkrit bagi menyelesaikan isu harga barang dan perkara yang melibatkan bebanan kos sara hidup rakyat.
Kaspersky: Phishing attempts in Malaysia mostly target payment system
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Monday, 20 Jun 2022 4:59 PM MYT
KUALA LUMPUR, June 20 — The payment system remains most targeted by financial phishing attempts in Malaysia with March 2022 recording the highest detections of the threat at 41.09 per cent, Kaspersky said.
The global cybersecurity company said February 2022 witnessed the cybercriminals eyeing to victimise users through banking, payment system and online shopping at 52.43 per cent, just 1.57 per cent lower than the overall South-east Asia region in terms of finance-related phishing attempts.
“The percentages are from anonymised data based on the triggering of the deterministic component in the Kaspersky’s Anti-Phishing system on user computers,” it said in a statement today.
It said the component detected all pages with phishing content that the user has tried to open by following a link in an e-mail message or on the web as long as links to these pages are present in the Kaspersky database.
It said banking and payment system phishing attempts might have been lower since April 1, 2022.
“This was the announced start of Malaysia’s border reopening to international travellers as well as for Malaysians to travel abroad without the need to quarantine,” it said.
However, it said online shopping phishing attempts went up in April to 8.67 per cent with the possibility of many looking into online deals that might have promised lucky draws.
It said phishing has remained to be the most effective trick on cybercriminals’ sleeves as is a known way to crack into a user’s or even a company’s network by playing on a user’s emotions.
Read more: Kaspersky: Phishing attempts in Malaysia mostly target payment system
Four injured as restaurant steamboat stove explodes
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June 20, 2022 @ 10:38am
KOTA KINABALU: A hotpot cooker exploded last night injuring four people including two children at a steamboat eatery.
The Fire and Rescue department received a call at 9.06pm on the incident at Bu Zainah Conner at Alam Mesra near here.
"Before the rescue team arrived at the scene, those at the eatery had sent the two children to the hospital.
"The two injured adults, Wujon Maria Mae and Roberto Antoni, were treated by Health Ministry personnel at the scene before being taken to hospital," it said in a statement.
Meanwhile, in Kota Marudu, two people were injured when their house at Kampung Bombong 1 was destroyed in a fire last night.
In the 11.50pm incident, Jaison Masiwol, 49 and his wife Julimah Sabia, 45, suffered burns and were taken to the district hospital for treatment.
District Fire and Rescue chief Rony Sikawan said they received a distress call at 11.52pm and a six-man team was deployed to the scene.
He said preliminary information suggested that the fire could have started from the kitchen.
"Both victims were aware of the fire when their child woke them up," he said, adding that the operation ended at 1am.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2022/06/806417/four-injured-restaurant-steamboat-stove-explodes
Fishermen's market a shell of its former self
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June 20, 2022 @ 9:15am
ALOR STAR: When Salmiah Ramli first became a fishmonger, there was never a shortage of fish to sell.
The Kuala Kedah fishermen's market was a hive of activity, with customers jostling with each other to secure the freshest catch of the day from barrels of fish supplied by fishermen who tirelessly made the journey out to sea every day.
A decade later, the market is a shadow of its former self.
Only four stalls remain open for business.
The four fishmongers, including Salmiah, no longer have a wealth of choices. They sell the little that the fishermen bring in for them on any given day.
Salmiah, 58, said supply had improved slightly.
In the past few weeks, bad weather had prevented fishermen from going out to sea.
However, the overall situation remains grim.
"When I first started selling here in 2010, we had many barrels of fish to sell. The market was teeming with fishmongers and business was great.
"However, supplies have dwindled over the years. Things have also gotten worse over the past four months," she told the New Straits Times.
She said the acute shortage of fish, caused by unpredictable weather, is putting a strain on coastal fishermen.
Fomca lauds govt's move to introduce new mechanism for food prices
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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.
Read more: Fomca lauds govt's move to introduce new mechanism for food prices
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