Noorhisyam

With the current world crisis which is the rise of Covid-19, the government has come up with various stimulus package to ease the burden of consumers and industries alike.
Today, we will be discussing how energy plays a role in the stimulus package and how consumers can make use of this package to its uttermost.
For those who are not aware, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced that through the Prihatin package, households that use less than 200 kilowatts would be given a discount of 50 per cent , 25 per cent for usage in between 201 kilowatts to 300 kilowatts and finally 15 per cent reduction for consumptions in between 301 kilowatts and 600 kilowatts.

At first glance, the package might seem like targeting lower income families as it is stigmatised that lower income families would have lower electricity bill. However, the truth is that the structure aids those who are energy savvy because the discount is given based on your monthly electricity consumption.
Thus, ensuring our electricity bill is low and does not reach the third or fourth tariff block would enable consumers from any financial standing to benefit higher discounts via the Prihatin Stimulus Package.
Commence of Movement Control Order (MCO) has seen many companies preferring employees to work from home to curb the spread of the disease and adhere to the laws set by the government. On the other hand as more people are spending time at home, electricity bills are expected to sky rocket and given the weather has also been unkind in certain places, usage of air-conditioner is bound to increase. Now more than ever, it is vital for consumers to be aware of their electricity consumption and ensure right steps are taken towards practising energy efficient behaviours. SMART METERS that were recently installed in Melaka and certain parts of Klang Valley really comes in handy during the MCO, as it allows consumers to monitor their bills on daily basis instead of on a monthly basis.
However for the majority of consumers who don’t have SMART METER at home, fret not as we from the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) would like to give tips on how to conserve energy during this time of emergency. Energy efficiency and energy conservation might sound similar however there is a huge difference even though both of them achieve the same goal. Energy efficiency refers to the usage of energy efficient products such as LED bulbs and electrical appliances with 5 star energy rating. On the other hand, energy conservation refers to the reduction of electricity usage without having to change any energy appliances at home. This is especially handy during the MCO since we are advised not to go out thus changing to energy efficient products would be harder given that we can’t move around freely and finding an open hardware should be fairly hard.

FEDERATION of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) deputy president Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman has called on the people to plan their shopping before going out.“It is not wrong to go out to the supermarket or provision shop but list down the items required before leaving home to shorten your time outdoors or at the shops.

“In this way we can reduce our movement. Prepare your grocery list, gather the items, head for the cashier and go home,” he told Bernama, adding it is not necessary to go in a big group.“By right, you don’t have to bring along other family members. Go alone or with just another person. This is not the time for a family outing,” he said.When paying, Yusof encouraged shoppers to go for cashless payment as it is a safer option in preventing the spread of Covid-19. “I would recommend the use of cards instead physical cash as notes change hands several times in circulation.“When making payments, wear a face mask as it may be difficult to keep the one-metre distance at the payment counter,” he added. – Bernama, March 19, 2020.

PETALING JAYA: Private hospitals are asked to put profits aside for now and in the name of service, support the Health Ministry in combating the Covid-19 pandemic.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) CEO Datuk Dr Paul Selvaraj said in this time of crisis, private hospitals, especially those run by government-linked companies, should give their utmost to assist the government given that public hospitals are called to treat the rising number of Covid-19 patients.“Put service as priority and put aside profits for now,“ he told theSun today.

Suaram adviser Kua Kia Soong suggested that private hospitals step forward to take some of the burden off the public sector by providing some sort of subsidised charges or no cost at all. They should also help with cases which are not related to the viral pandemic, fill the need for special wards, offer intensive care unit space and equipment such as ventilators and oxygen supply.“In the best of times, private hospitals reap the benefits of the much touted Malaysian product known as ‘medical tourism’ and attract the best medical talents from the public sector.“Now that we are in the worst of times, private hospitals don’t seem to be doing too badly either.

LETTER | For the new government, the issue of cost of living faced by the rakyat should be a critical priority. Consumers are suffering. Incomes are low. 

The living wage as proposed by Bank Negara is RM2,600 for a single adult, RM4,500 for a couple with no children and RM6,500 for a couple with two children. Yet, six million workers or 50 percent of workers in Malaysia earn less than RM2,160.Many Malaysians, especially in urban areas, feel their income is insufficient to raise their living standards. As of 2018, nearly 30 percent of Malaysians felt that they did not have enough money for food and 23 percent reported they did not have adequate money for shelter. According to Bank Negara, the cost of living has been increasing across all households but more significantly for lower-income households in urbanised states. Generally, the higher cost of living was driven by higher prices for food and housing.

The lower-income household spend more on food and housing which costs more in urbanised areas. The bottom 20 percent spend 65 percent of their household expenditure on food and housing while the bottom 40 percent spend 58 percent of their household expenditure on food and housing.Expenditure on transportation is also significant. So, for the bottom 20 percent, food, housing and transportation, accounts for 75 percent of household expenditure while for the bottom 40 percent, these three components account for 70 percent of household expenditure. Thus, to address the concerns of stagnant incomes and increasing costs of living, the government needs to address the issues of food prices, house prices and the cost of transportation.

THE World Book Day on March 5 went unnoticed like a wanted criminal. Did politicking of the recent past kill the book? Or is this a sign of a dying national habit?Studies after studies show that great minds read a lot. And they read consistently, too. With them, reading is a habit. Not an occasional pursuit.What’s more, science is for the turning of pages. Reading boosts the brain and expands our intellectual horizon. Having spent enormous years living a rich life, they “book” them like an Everyman’s Guide. Call it vicarious learning.Behind every great man there is a shelf of books.But Malaysians are a difficult lot to convince when it comes to politics and books. Maybe because both are a numbers’ game.

Let’s talk about books. Literacy data revealed in 2016 tell an impressive story: 85 per cent of Malaysians read regularly. But a deep dive tells a sad story hidden behind the number. Only three per cent read books.We may be a nation of book buyers —aPicodi.com survey in 2018 showed that 76 per cent of Malaysians bought at least one book a year — but we may not be reading what we buy. Picodi also reveals a troubling fact: 24 per cent of Malaysians do not buy any books at all. With hope, they borrow to read.People in developed nations read 40 books a year, an average of three books a month. We may not be a developed nation yet, but we should not be left too far behind.There is also a gender divide in Malaysia when it comes to reading. Women get to the bottom of the page faster than men. Is that why women are, on average, better than men off the pages? Women or men, we must be a nation of readers.

PLEASE PAY ATTENTION -THIS IS SO TRUE: HOW TO READ BAR CODES... (everyone must know)

ALWAYS READ LABELS ON THE FOODS YOU BUY--NO MATTER WHAT THE FRONT OF THE BOX OR PACKAGE SAYS, TURN IT OVER AND READ THE BACK CAREFULLY!

With all the food and pet products now coming from China, it is best to make sure you read label at the supermarket and especially when buying food products. Many products no longer show where they were made, only give where the distributor is located. The whole world is concerned about China-made "black-hearted goods".

Can you differentiate which one is made in Taiwan or China ? The world is also concerned about GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) foods; steroid fed animals (ex: 45 days old broiler chicken).

It is important to read the bar code to track its origin. How to read Bar Codes....interesting !

The Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (Mestecc) today launched the National Action Plan on Enforcement on the Import of Plastic Waste.The plan, also known as the HS 3915, is aimed at streamlining enforcement activities undertaken by various agencies, the ministry said in a statement today.Also launched today was Guidelines on the Import of Scrap Metal for the benefit of importers and with the aim of preventing the import of contaminated, non-homogeneous and low-quality metal.The ministry said the strengthening of environmental enforcement and monitoring activities across the country had been discussed at the meeting of environment ministers and state executive councillors responsible for the environment, held today.

Consumer rights developed thanks to grass-roots networks putting pressure on companies.Today they cover treatment and protection of the consumer experience, as well as the safety and sustainability of our health and environment.Consumer advocacy can play a role in instigating the changes required to tackle the climate crisis.The Davos Manifesto starts with consumers – and rightly so. It has taken decades for consumers to be recognised as an essential stakeholder with an independent voice and rights. For a fair, safe and sustainable economy, it’s time to empower, inform and activate consumers and build a more balanced and engaged relationship with companies, suppliers and legislators.

Have you read?
Scarcity and growth: our world's contradictory terrors
Most fish consumers support a ban on fishing endangered species, poll finds

The beginnings of consumer rights

Many of us can now take for granted the kitemarks and audits that maintain basic product safety for billions. But in the 1960s, as mass production developed in the West and companies grew their local and global power, consumers were a huge but disorganized economic group, with no collective voice to be heard by decision-makers in companies or government.Over time, consumer rights, legislation, standards bodies, watchdogs, testing, labelling and information schemes established an organized consumer protection foundation. With grass-roots networks and international presence, consumer advocates kept up pressure on companies who exploited poorer consumers, polluted rivers or damaged air quality.

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