THE year began with statements that Putrajaya will invoke Section 114 of WSIA 2006 Act to temporarily take over Selangor’s water assets, management and concessions following its failure to restructure the water supply services in the state.
Last year there were problems in water supply in Selangor ranging from dry spells to the Sungai Selangor oil spill. During Chinese New Year, major water disruptions occurred in several places in Hulu Langat and Kuala Langat due to ammonium contamination at Sungai Langat.
While the need for safe, clean and continuous water supply is clear, unfortunately, the solutions are not.
Headlines in various media associated with mismanagement of its forest reserves raise questions on the water security in Kelantan. The clearing of thousands of hectares of virgin rainforest to accommodate the state government’s effort to develop the state is not just a threat to the diverse flora and fauna in the region but also to the water security of the people of Kelantan.
Mining and land clearing for agricultural use such as the “Projek Ladang Rakyat” doesn’t only affect the quality of water resources but also its quantity. The run-offs due to land clearing brings with it heavy metals and dangerous bacteria which contaminates the river as well as cause sedimentation which affects the quantity of water.
Read more: UNSUSTAINABLE KELANTAN FOREST MANAGEMENT AND THE IMPACT ON WATER SECURITY
Gambaran Menyeluruh Tentang Bajet 2014
Secara keseluruhannya, beberapa isu utama yang berkaitan dengan kebajikan pengguna dinyatakan dalam Bajet 2014, antaranya:
• Perumahan
• Mengurangkan Jenayah
• Sektor Kesihatan
• Harga Makanan
Kerajaan yang Telus
Pertamanya, usaha Kerajaan untuk memberikan keyakinan kepada rakyat tentang pengurusan perbelanjaan kewangan yang bertanggungjawab, iaitu amalan sistem perbelanjaan yang terbuka dan telus. Oleh itu, langkah kerajaan untuk mengamalkan perbelanjaan yang berasaskan hasil amat dialu-alukan.
Setelah bertahun-tahun menangguhkan pelaksanaan GST semenjak mula diperkatakan dalam bajet 2005, YAB. Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak, Perdana Menteri Malaysia merangkap Menteri Kewangan mengumumkan pelaksanaan GST mulai pada 1 April 2015, dalam pembentangan Bajet 2014.
Agak memeranjatkan apabila kadar GST yang akan dikenakan ialah 6%, bukannya 4% sebagaimana yang diunjurkan sebelum ini. Namun begitu, angka tersebut juga tidak menghairankan apabila Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Dato’ Sri Idris Jala pernah membayangkan kerajaan akan mengutip sehingga sebanyak RM27 bilion sekiranya GST dikenakan pada kadar 7%. Ini seolah-olah menunjukkan kerajaan mungkin mengenakan kadar dalam lingkungan tersebut bagi memperoleh jumlah hasil daripada kutipan cukai yang dapat menampung defisit fiskal negara.
Presiden Gabungan Persatuan-Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (FOMCA), Datuk Dr. Marimuthu Nadason dilantik semula sebagai pengerusi Majlis Penasihat Pengguna Negara (MPPN) bagi sesi 2013-2014.
Perlantikan tersebut dibuat oleh YB. Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Menteri Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi dan Kepenggunaan (KPDNKK) sebelum pilihan raya umum ke-13, sebelum diambil alih oleh YB Dato’ Haji Hasan Malek.
Seramai 16 orang dilantik menganggotai MPPN bagi sesi 2013-2014, yang terdiri daripada Ketua Setiausaha KPDNKK, wakil persatuan pengguna, badan bukan kerajaan yang lain, ahli akademik dan persatuan perniagaan.
Read more: DATUK MARIMUTHU DILANTIK SEMULA SEBAGAI PENGERUSI MPPN
The Competition Commission (MyCC) will be fining MAS and Air Asia RM 10 million each for breaching competition laws when they collaborated under a share swap deal two years ago.
In undertaking this action MyCC is giving a clear signal to the market that it means business; anti-competitive behaviors in the market will have serious consequences. FOMCA lauds the MyCC for taking decisive action against these major players in the market. Malaysian consumers have been waiting too long for MyCC to show that it indeed has teeth; that it will punish anti-competitive behaviors. This action by MyCC provides clear proof that the Commission will take stern and definite action against any anti-competitive behaviors in the market.
Anti-rodent Control Campaign that launched on last Saturday, 24th August, 2013 had showed that public awareness on leptospirosis disease is increasing. According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), 2925 cases followed by 28 cases lead to death had announced recently. The amount of victims involves in this dangerous and acute disease keep climbing up to the serious level in our country.
Since the first case of leptospirosis in Malaysia was in 1927 that discovered by Fletcher, but until now we are still looking for its solution. Rodent species (rats) is the vector that carried virus Leptospira that can affect any organ system and can lead to multi-organ failure.
Ordering a glass of plain water after a meal and chatting with friends or family instead of soft drink or other drink is a great way to save money while gathering out. However, what is the right price to be charged for just a glass of plain water?
It was happened that RM1.50 is charged for a glass of plain water without refillable in a dining café neither any information nor price in the menu in that café. It just like ‘daylight robbery’ to the customers as the national average charges for 1000 litre is just RM0.65 for domestic and RM1.32 for commercial. Thus, RM0.80 to RM1.50 is consider too much and unreasonable charge for a glass of water.
It is understood that the cost of doing business has been growing higher every year and eatery shop charges for the plain water to cover some costs of electricity and labour is always reasonable. However, they should not charge exorbitant price for just a glass plain water as it leads to profiteering at the expense of the consumer.
The governments’ intention to reduce fiscal deficit through a number of ways is commendable. However, reduction in the petrol subsidies is seen as hasty and lacks in justification and public consultation. The acceleration of the inflation rate caused by the sudden petrol price hike is no good news especially now when the trend in emerging markets is depreciating of currencies.
The cut in the subsidy is expected to save the government a whopping amount of RM1.1 billion this year and RM3.3 billion annually. However, the utilization of this amount to give out BRIM is seen as short sighted and only provide short term solution to the people’s woes. Better utilization of the fund should be proposed by the government and made public. Questionable transparency when it comes to the fund could only hurt the people’s trust in the government causing more political instability.
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