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.

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:

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.

SEREMBAN: The state government has threatened to revoke immediately the operating licences of businesses caught polluting raw water resources, says Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Aminuddin Harun.Drawing upon the lessons from several recent episodes of river contamination in the Klang Valley which disrupted supply of treated water to tens of thousands of consumers, he said the Negri Sembilan government had decided to issue a warning to would-be-polluters that the state was no longer in a mood to compromise.“There will be no more talking or discussing things because we have been getting many complaints of rivers being polluted here.“If you are found to have contaminated a drinking water source we will take drastic measures as you are not only inconveniencing the state government and the public but the very act can be a potential health hazard, ” said Aminuddin here yesterday.

Aminuddin urged the public to notify authorities if they come across any party releasing untreated effluent into the environment.“I have seen rivers clogged with garbage and other waste, but thankfully, these did not cause the river to be polluted.“I have told all enforcement agencies, including local councils, the Environment Department and the state water regulatory body (BKSANS) to be strict in their enforcement, ” he said after closing a seminar on licensing needs for companies drawing raw water from the state, be it from the sea, rivers or ground water.Aminuddin said all industries, including those involved in sand mining, should take heed of his warning.

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.

KUALA LUMPUR: Helpless victims of botched beauty procedures have turned to various organisations to help them seek justice.MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong has been one of those actively playing a role to save the victims, mostly women, not only from financial ruin but also emotional trauma for almost 30 years.He said many women came to his office seeking help after undergoing bad procedures, mostly leaving them penniless and disfigured, either temporarily or permanently.Chong said since 2017, 10 women had lost more than RM2 million on these treatments.“These 10 women spent a total of RM2,367,998.73, thinking these procedures would make them beautiful. The complaints are made against beauty and slimming centres, skin specialist and reflexology centres,” he said.

He said some of the centres involved were well known and regarded as among “the credible ones”.He said many of the cases received were from women who felt those who were supposed to “beautify” them did a bad job. They were prepared to go to court.However, Chong said it was difficult to catch these perpetrators and prove them wrong due to a lack of evidence and the laws in place.Chong said there were three types of cases he has come across over the past decade.The first were victims seeking treatment at aesthetic clinics run by qualified doctors, but the procedures were not done by the doctors themselves. Instead, the procedures were done by their assistants or staff with no medical background or training.

The second type were beauty and spa centres where the beauticians themselves performed the invasive procedures. Chong said not only were they unqualified or medically untrained, their facilities were also a danger and prone to infection as they were unlikely to be sterilised or able to meet the Health Ministry’s safety standards.The final and most dangerous category, Chong said, involved those who did “house calls” or carried out the procedures at hotel rooms. Those doing this were regular people with no medical background or qualifications at all. He said these were usually recommended by friends and family who had previously engaged their services.

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