JOHOR BARU: Efforts to reduce fossil fuel usage by 20% and green house gasses by 45% has got the government looking to the sun for clean, green and renewable energy solutions.The government hopes to meet these numbers by 2025 through the use of readily available renewable energy sources, like wind and the ever-abundant solar energy.Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry’s under-secretary Wong Tin Song said this was a significant increase from the previous renewable energy target.“In 2017, the government set a target to the power sector to utilise 2% of renewable energy, ” he said in his speech at the Conference on Energy Efficiency held at Berjaya Waterfront Hotel Johor Baru.“To achieve this, we need to increase the amount of solar energy in our total electricity generated, ” he said, adding that currently solar power makes up 6.6% of the total energy supply.
Wong also mentioned that energy efficiency plays an important role in transforming the energy system in Malaysia.“Reducing the demand for electricity is the least expensive approach to meet our goals, ” he said, adding that the government was working together with NGO’s like the Federation of Malaysian Consumer Association (Fomca).
Read more: JOHOR BAHRU : FOMCA : Move to reduce fossil fuel usage
For Budget 2020, the total of RM30.6 billion as compared to RM28.7 billion under 2019, has been allocated for healthcare; an increase of 6.6%. FOMCA fully supports the increasing investment in public healthcare. Further, it fully supports the continuing strengthening of public healthcare. With this increasing investment, more hospitals can be built as well as health and dental clinics can be upgraded. Currently, the public hospitals have about 16,000 bed shortages. The increase in allocation could help to reduce the bed shortages in government hospitals, enabling more patients who need critical treatment to be warded.
However, one of the greatest limitations in public hospitals is the shortage of specialists. Currently about 30% of specialists and 45% of doctors serve 65% of the population in public hospitals. The rest of the specialists and doctors serve about 25% of the patients in private hospitals. Certainly it is more lucrative to serve in private rather than the public service. Further, there are some specialised areas in which there is an acute shortage of specialists in public hospitals for example in areas of nephrology and neurology. Thus it is proposed that government should take active measures to train and recruit specialists for the public sector. More importantly, there needs to be better measures to ensure that trained and specialised doctors continue to serve in the public service. Healthcare is an essential service, special measures to keep specialists in the public service should be supported.
In addition, to ease the burden of the public healthcare services, government should play a robust role in regulating the private sector. Private healthcare is exorbitantly expensive. Prices are not regulated, thus consumers end up paying a hefty sum they can ill-afford for treatment. What is worse, many consumers do not have medical insurance. In fact, 38% of consumers pay their hospital bills by out-of-pocket expenses, considered the most risky form of payment. Out of pocket payments have risen from RM 2.93 billion in 1997 to RM 17.44 billion in 2013, a rise of about 29% per year. Further, medical insurance premiums have been skyrocketing, making it unaffordable to low and middle income consumers. For a start, FOMCA suggests greater transparency in pricing by the private hospitals so that consumer make an informed decision when choosing private treatment as well as be well aware of the potential costs.
Read more: FOMCA: Budget and the Healthcare Consumer, Dato Paul Selvaraj, CEO FOMCA
LETTER | Unfair bank charges have been highlighted by Fomca for a very long time since charges were imposed for ATM cards against bank passbooks which were provided free of charge. Though the often claimed automation and computerisation are to reduce costs for consumers but it was the opposite for many of the financial services.We all should embrace and promote a cashless mode of payment for safety, efficiency and convenience. However, such efforts to encourage adoption of a cashless mode should not burden any segment of the consumers. With the consolidation of banks and cost rationalisation, most small towns are not serviced by all banks.Consumers are bound to have and operate their bank accounts in certain banks due to certain obligations such as loan facilities or for crediting of salaries and so on. As such, many consumers are not free to choose their banks.Informal sectors low-income earners are paid daily and bank-in their incomes and may make frequent withdrawals for expenses. Banks charge a 50 sen withdrawal fee for withdrawals more than five times in a month. Cash withdrawals from ATMs of different bank incur a RM1 charge.Is it fair to impose a 50 sen or RM1 fee for a withdrawal of RM50? The ATMs of foreign banks (licensed and operating locally) impose a much higher charge for withdrawals. Many would also would have encountered situations where one’s bank ATM is offline or not located in certain localities when the need for cash arises.
KUALA LUMPUR 24 Sept. - Faktor pendapatan yang rata-ratanya rendah berbanding harga rumah yang tinggi antara punca ramai pembeli menangguhkan impian memiliki kediaman sendiri.Ketua Pakar Ekonomi Bank Islam Malaysia, Dr. Mohd. Afzanizam Abdul Rashid berkata, dalam menangani isu pemilikan rumah mampu milik ini, ia perlu ditangani secara perlahan-lahan dan tidak begitu drastik.Ini kerana katanya, tahap gaji dan upah tidak boleh dinaikkan sewenang-wenangnya kerana ia perlu seiring dengan tahap kemahiran dan produktiviti.Jelas beliau, selain itu, harga rumah tidak boleh turun secara mendadak kerana ini boleh menimbulkan suasana kejutan negatif kepada sistem ekonomi negara, justeru, perlu ada strategi mapan supaya ia boleh menghasilkan situasi menang-menang bagi bakal pembeli rumah, pemaju perumahan, institusi perbankan dan kerajaan secara amnya.“Dalam hal ini, menggalakkan orang ramai yang belum mampu membeli rumah untuk menyewa adalah perkara yang betul untuk dilakukan.
“Menggalakkan mereka yang belum mampu memiliki rumah untuk meminjam bagi tujuan pembelian rumah hanya boleh mengundang masalah terutama jika mereka ini tidak mampu untuk membayar ansuran pembiayaan perumahan tersebut,” katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia di sini baru-baru ini.Semalam, data yang dikeluarkan Pusat Maklumat Harta Tanah Negara (NAPIC) mendapati bilangan kediaman tidak terjual di negara ini meningkat 1.5 peratus kepada 32,810 unit pada separuh pertama tahun ini dengan nilai RM19.76 bilion. Daripada jumlah itu, 43 peratus terdiri daripada kondominium dan apartment.Sementara itu, Ketua Penyelidik MIDF Research, Mohd. Redza Abdul Rahman berkata, tiada keperluan untuk menjual rumah terutama berharga kurang RM300,000 kepada orang luar.Sebaliknya, beliau berpendapat, penambahbaikan dari segi kemudahan di dalam kawasan perumahan itu sendiri atau penyediaan kemudahan luar perlu bagi menarik minat pembeli.
SUDAH hampir dua minggu negara dilanda jerebu. Menurut Jabatan Alam Sekitar, kebakaran hutan di Sumatera dan Kalimantan, Indonesia menyebabkan jerebu merentas sempadan dan memberi kesan kepada peningkatan bacaan Indeks Pencemaran Udara (IPU) di semua kawasan di sepanjang pantai barat Semenanjung Malaysia dan barat Sarawak.Kebakaran belukar bagi tujuan pertanian di beberapa kawasan antaranya di Johan Setia, Klang, Selangor memburukkan lagi keadaan.Untuk rekod, bacaan IPU antara 0 hingga 50 dikategorikan baik, 51 hingga 100 (sederhana), 101 hingga 200 (tidak sihat), 210 hingga 300 (sangat tidak sihat) manakala 300 ke atas berbahaya.Ketua Perkhidmatan Oftamalogi Kementerian Kesihatan, Dr. Nor Fariza Ngah berkata, jumlah pesakit bagi kes berkaitan konjunktivitis (mata) meningkat 20 hingga 30 peratus di 42 hospital kerajaan seluruh negara kesan jerebu.
Beliau menasihatkan orang ramai mengurangkan aktiviti luar rumah yang boleh memberi kesan kesihatan terutama mereka yang menghidap asma.Peningkatan IPU ini turut menjejaskan sesi persekolahan di kawasan yang terlibat apabila terpaksa ditutup bagi mengelakkan kesihatan pelajar terjejas. Antara negeri yang terlibat dengan penutupan sekolah ini ialah Sarawak, Johor, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Pulau Pinang dan Kedah serta Putrajaya.Mengikut pekeliling Kementerian Pendidikan, sekiranya bacaan IPU melebihi 100, pihak sekolah hendaklah menghentikan semua aktiviti luar bilik darjah. Jika bacaan 200, semua sekolah yang berada dalam kawasan atau daerah hendaklah ditutup serta-merta. Jabatan pendidikan negeri di seluruh negara mempunyai kuasa mengikut prosedur operasi standard masing-masing untuk mengarahkan penutupan sekolah jika kawasan mereka dilanda jerebu teruk.
AT least two dozen flights were delayed on Aug 21 when a systems disruption affected Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and klia2, including its flight information display system, check-in counters, baggage handling systems and Wi-Fi.This should be a wake-up call for Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB). Based on the current global political climate, there has never been a more important time for airports to seriously reconsider their approach to cybersecurity and risk management.MAHB must oversee threats to the airport system and the management must further discuss it with the board and stakeholders.
Risk management is important to gain a competitive advantage.Through enhanced risk management, the board will gain a better understanding of how threats can impact its strategy.It is vital for MAHB to consider ISO 31000 Risk Management to identify, assess and control risks.Risk management ensures the highest possible level of safety during all airport activities and requires an in-depth risk analysis and incident analysis, as well as linking the two together to facilitate learning from incidents.Risk management will add value to MAHB and ensure continuous improvements. It improves performance, encourages innovation and supports the achievement of MAHB’s objectives.
The risk management process involves the systematic application of policies, procedures and practices to the process of communicating and consulting, establishing the context and assessing, treating and monitoring risk.Risk management has played a strong supporting role at the board level. Now, boards are expected to provide robust oversight of risk management.ISO 31000 also provides important information to boards so that they can fulfil their risk oversight responsibilities.
KUALA LUMPUR: Contestable market or liberalisation in the local utility sector is vital as it provide consumers alternative solutions with more choices and flexibility when buying electricity.Accenture Singapore Asean Smart Grid Services Lead managing director Lim Chih Shoong said liberalised electricity market provides consumers with competitive pricing and innovative offers while enjoying the same electricity supply."A reduction of up to 26 per cent in utility prices has been observed in Singapore from this market contestability.
"We also expect Malaysia to have different electricity tariff if the country goes into full-retail contestability, making it cheaper (cost-competitive) for consumers to choose their electricity supply," he told the New Straits Times in an interview recently.It was reported that Malaysia is looking to liberalise its utility sector but the government has yet to set any conditions on the supply generation and mix.Lim believed the liberalisation would be a good move towards promoting more sustainable electricity ecosystem in Malaysia which can play a part in reimagining Malaysia for the future.“This is because open electricity market allows the dominant utility company and new players to innovate their products and services for consumers,” he added.
Read more: NST: Consumers to enjoy more affordable rates with liberalised market
It is time to break the Touch N Go Monopoly. Touch N Go continues to serve consumers with shoddy products and poor services. It can continue to make profits despite providing poor products and services because it is a monopoly. There are no competitors. Consumers do not have a choice. Realising the unfair and weak position of consumers in relation to the monopolistic behaviour of Touch N Go, FOMCA on the 30 October 2018 filed a complaint with the Malaysian Competition Commission to investigate and more importantly break the monopoly. To date, Touch N Go continues its monopolistic behaviour to the determinant of consumers’ wellbeing.
It is way past time to break the monopoly and liberalise the market.
The time has come for the government to relook at the monopoly being enjoyed by Touch N Go and its impact on consumer protection and consumer wellbeing. And most importantly act on it.
As a monopoly, FOMCA strongly feels that consumers are getting a shoddy deal paying higher prices for lower quality of services. Some of the complaints received from consumers include:
Read more: FOMCA, Dato Paul Selvaraj : Break the Touch N Go Monopoly
KUALA LUMPUR 29 Ogos - Kaji selidik yang dijalankan Pusat Penyelidikan Kaji Selidik Universiti UCSI mendapati lebih separuh penduduk di sekitar Lembah Klang berpendapat penggunaan perbankan Internet tidak selamat kerana terdapat keburukan dalam sistem pembayaran elektronik.Ketua Eksekutif Pusat Penyelidikan Kaji Selidik UCSI, Penolong Prof. Dr. Noppadon Kanika berkata, perbankan dalam talian boleh menjurus kepada pencerobohan maklumat peribadi, pelbagai jenis scam, penggodaman, kecurian identiti dan sebagainya.Menurutnya, kajian tersebut melibatkan sejumlah 65.5 peratus daripada 551 penduduk yang dijalankan pada 1 hingga 27 Ogos lalu dan berdasarkan kajian itu majoriti penduduk di Lembah Klang menggunakan perkhidmatan perbankan dalam talian bagi pelbagai tujuan transaksi.
“Hasil kajian ini menunjukkan terdapat 457 individu yang menggunakan sistem pembayaran dalam talian sekurang-kurangnya melalui satu atau dua bank. Walaupun mereka berasa takut dengan risiko menggunakan perbankan dalam talian, 7.5 peratus daripada responden mengakui bahawa mereka melakukan transaksi wang secara dalam talian kerana ianya lebih cepat dan mudah.“Ramai yang berasa senang apabila menggunakan perkhidmatan bank dalam talian, walaupun mereka takut dengan kewujudan penggodam dan pencerobohan identiti yang boleh berlaku.
Page 40 of 74
- You are here:
-
Home
- News/Events