MAVCOM Finally Acts to Protect Aviation Consumers
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24 February 2021
MAVCOM has finally taken the bold step to demand that airlines refund affected consumers. In our letter to the editor on July 2020, FOMCA had expressed deep disappointment with the airlines industry for refusing to refund consumers and demanding that consumers accept credit to be used by a stipulated time, instead of their cash refunds.
Consumers have a right to refunds as the service had been cancelled.
Complaints by consumers to MAVCOM were given stock answers that the airlines have been informed to respond to the consumers complaints. The National Consumer Complaints Center (NCCC) request to MAVCOM to facilitate prompt refund to consumers also met with failure.
We had indeed shared our utter disappointment with MAVCOM’s approach towards consumer complaints and request for refunds. We had complained that instead of protecting consumers it allows the airlines leeway to refuse giving consumers their refunds.
Yet, finally MAVCOM recently has directed airlines to refund the affected consumers for flights that had been cancelled as a result of international and local travel restrictions necessitated by the covid-19 pandemic. The instruction from MAVCOM should be a clear and explicit directive to the airlines to refund the affected consumers not a request.
MAVCOM functions under the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code and thus should act to protect consumers as the first priority. FOMCA fully supports the statement by MAVCOM that the airlines should refund to affected consumers the amount equivalent to the cost of the ticket at the time of purchase, including taxes, charges and fees under any written law and charges for optional services.
FOMCA would also urge that the airlines should also add interests for the time that they held the money of the consumers. This is only fair.
Read more: MAVCOM Finally Acts to Protect Aviation Consumers
SIRIM bangunkan kaedah periksa status barangan elektrik dan elektronik dibeli dalam talian
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15/02/2021 01:58 PM
SHAH ALAM, 15 Feb -- SIRIM QAS International sedang membangunkan kaedah untuk pengguna memeriksa status barangan elektrik atau elektronik yang dibeli secara dalam talian bagi memastikan barangan terbabit mempunyai kelulusan SIRIM dan Suruhanjaya Tenaga (ST).
Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif SIRIM QAS International Nur Fadhilah Muhammad berkata usaha itu dilihat perlu memandangkan pada masa ini pengguna tidak mempunyai cara untuk berbuat demikian sebelum membuat pembelian barangan terbabit.
“Kaedah tersebut sedang bangunkan dan akan disiapkan secepat mungkin kerana ia amat penting bagi melindungi hak pengguna.
“Buat masa ini, SIRIM hanya mempunyai aplikasi untuk memudahkan pengguna memeriksa barangan elektrik dan elektronik yang dibeli di kedai sahaja,” katanya pada sidang media pelancaran Kempen Kesedaran Keselamatan SIRIM-ST 2021 secara maya hari ini.
Turut hadir pada sidang media maya itu ialah Presiden merangkap Ketua Eksekutif Kumpulan SIRIM Datuk Dr Ahmad Fadzil Mohamad Hani dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif ST Abdul Razib Dawood.
Kempen selama tiga bulan bermula hari ini menerusi platform media sosial SIRIM dan ST itu bertujuan meningkatkan kesedaran masyarakat mengenai kepentingan membeli barangan elektrik dan elektronik yang mendapat kelulusan kedua-dua agensi berkenaan.
Sementara itu, Ahmad Fadzil dalam ucapannya semasa melancarkan kempen tersebut mengingatkan pengguna supaya sentiasa peka dan hanya membeli peralatan elektrik serta elektronik yang diluluskan oleh SIRIM-ST.
“Langkah ini bagi mengelakkan kemalangan atau kebakaran sehingga mengakibatkan kecederaan dan kematian. Hanya label SIRIM-ST dapat mengesahkan barangan yang dibeli pengguna selamat untuk digunakan,” katanya.
Cara-cara jimat elektrik sewaktu cuaca panas
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18/02/2021 02:48 PM
KUALA LUMPUR, 18 Feb -- Cuaca panas yang dijangka berterusan hingga bulan depan boleh menyebabkan penggunaan elektrik yang tinggi, oleh itu Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) hari ini mengeluarkan panduan bagi menjimatkan tenaga elektrik di waktu cuaca panas.
Antara perkara mudah yang boleh diamalkan adalah mematikan penyaman udara, kipas dan lampu di dalam bilik yang kosong serta mematikan suis peralatan elektrik seperti komputer selepas selesai digunakan.
Menurut panduan itu, ketika cuaca panas terik tindakan menutup tingkap dengan langsir tebal boleh menghalang haba masuk dan bebankan pendingin hawa, semakin kurang beban pada penyaman udara untuk menyejukkan bilik, semakin rendah penggunaan elektrik.
Selain itu, menghidupkan kipas pada waktu malam membantu penggerakan udara di dalam bilik selepas beberapa jam penyaman udara dihidupkan, suhu bilik akan berada dalam keadaan selesa dan menetapkan masa untuk mematikan penyaman udara juga boleh menjimatkan penggunaan elektrik.
TNB dalam kenyataan turut menekankan, cuaca yang panas ini boleh dimanfaatkan dengan menjemur pakaian daripada menggunakan mesin pengering pakaian dan elakkan suis alat pemanas air terbuka tanpa digunakan.
Pengguna digalak memilih alat elektrik berlabel cekap tenaga 4 atau 5 bintang oleh Suruhanjaya Tenaga (ST) untuk membantu menjimatkan penggunaan elektrik di kediaman.
Meter Pintar berupaya memantau penggunaan elektrik secara langsung, oleh itu, pengguna boleh mengendalikan tenaga dengan lebih efisien kerana meter ini boleh menghantar maklumat penggunaan tenaga kepada pengguna.
WhatsApp pengerusi NGO Harmonis digodam
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Khamis, 18 Februari 2021 @ 8:50 AM
Kuala Lumpur: "Saya terkejut apabila ramai kenalan menelefon bertanyakan sama ada saya mempunyai masalah kewangan selepas nombor telefon di WhatsApp tidak dapat diakses," kata Pengerusi Pertubuhan Harmoni Masyarakat Melayu Perak (Harmonis) Datuk Rosli Yang Daniyan, 60.
Rosli berkata, beliau hanya menyedari aplikasi WhatsApp yang didaftarkan menggunakan nombor telefonnya tidak dapat diakses, kira-kira 10 pagi, Sabtu lalu.
"Saya mencuba pelbagai cara untuk mendapat akses mesej di WhatsApp termasuk memadamkan serta memuat turun semula aplikasi berkenaan, namun gagal.
"Malah sepanjang proses itu, saya tidak menerima kod pengesahan enam angka seperti kebiasaannya.
"Beberapa jam kemudian, saya menerima panggilan daripada seorang kenalan yang bertanyakan sama ada saya benar-benar memerlukan wang selepas menerima mesej di WhatsApp saya yang kononnya mahu meminjam wang berjumlah RM10,000," katanya ketika dihubungi, hari ini.
Menurutnya, beliau kemudian menerima semakin banyak panggilan telefon daripada rakannya yang memaklumkan perkara sama.
Beliau berkata, lebih 50 kenalannya menghubungi beliau pada Sabtu lalu selepas menerima mesej daripadanya yang mahu meminjam wang antara RM500 hingga RM30,000 di WhatsApp.
"Kebanyakan kenalan saya terus bertindak menelefon saya selepas curiga dengan cara mesej berkenaan ditaip berlainan daripada cara saya.
Beware the drawbacks of EPF withdrawal
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February 18, 2021 8:30 AM
PETALING JAYA: Experts are cautioning contributors against withdrawing their money from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) through the i-Sinar scheme even though all conditions for withdrawals have been lifted.
Financial planner Robert Foo from MyFP said most Malaysians lacked even a basic “kitchen table” financial plan and, as such, it was best not to withdraw their EPF savings.
“Yes, now, with i-Sinar, you can withdraw. But the question is, do you need to withdraw?”
He suggested that people withdraw money only if they intended to invest, but not to spend.
It would be better if they could talk to a financial adviser who would look at their balance sheet and offer sound advice, he said, adding that it was important to have enough money to last throughout their retirement.
Geoffrey Williams, an economist from Malaysia University of Science and Technology, said with EPF lifting all its criteria for Account-1 withdrawals, there may be a significant rise in personal debt defaults and deepening social problems due to debt distress. There may also be a rise in illegal debt providers.
Williams noted that many EPF members aged 26 to 55 in the B40 and M40 income groups that were polled in a recent survey by UCSI Poll Research Centre reported that they would use their withdrawals for loan repayments.
He said this suggested that this group had an urgent debt problem.
“Only 48.6% of respondents used the money for food and groceries,” he said, adding that this was of concern as they might end up using credit cards for food and groceries in future. “Then, they will have no more EPF savings to pay off this (credit card) debt.
UK export of plastic waste to Malaysia up 63%
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February 18, 2021 8:37 AM
PETALING JAYA: The UK exported 63% more plastic waste to Malaysia last year, according to a Greenpeace report, with its country representative urging more responsible recycling by developed countries.
The Greenpeace report published on Tuesday highlighted how the UK exported 537,000 tonnes of plastic waste in 2020, roughly the same amount (539,000 tonnes) in 2019.
The volume of waste exported to Malaysia rose from 40,007 tonnes to 65,316 tonnes.
“Malaysia and other countries should not be used as dumping ground,” said Greenpeace Malaysia campaigner Heng Kiah Chun in a statement to FMT.
“Developed countries should stop putting their responsibility onto other countries for their own plastics problem and put in place policies to reduce single-use plastics with the aim of a complete end from its source.”
Heng noted that globally, only 9% of plastic waste produced had actually been recycled and 12% incinerated, with the remaining 79% ending up in landfills or the natural environment.
Describing the exports as part of a “global broken system”, he called for a sustained drive to reduce the use of non-essential plastic, develop sustainable alternatives and to switch to reuse wherever possible.
China’s ban on plastic waste import in January 2018 saw Malaysia emerge as a favourite destination for plastic waste.
While this waste is supposed to be recycled, it ends up in landfills where it is burned and pollutes the local population, as well as in rivers and oceans.
Malaysia hantar pulang 254 kontena sisa plastik tahun lepas
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17/02/2021 10:22 PM
KUALA LUMPUR, 17 Feb -- Malaysia menghantar pulang 254 kontena sisa plastik dengan anggaran berat 5,512 tan metrik ke negara asal tanpa melibatkan sebarang kos kepada kerajaan pada tahun lepas, kata Menteri Alam Sekitar dan Air Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.
Selain berjaya menggantung pengimportan sisa plastik secara haram ke dalam negara, katanya, Jabatan Alam Sekitar (JAS) menahan operasi 204 kilang kitar semula sisa plastik haram sepanjang tempoh itu.
Aktiviti pembanterasan itu selaras dengan komitmen kementerian dalam Pelan Hala Tuju Malaysia ke arah Sifar Penggunaan Plastik Sekali Guna 2018-2030 dan Pelan Strategik Kelestarian Alam Sekitar Di Malaysia 2020-2030, katanya dalam kenyataan di sini hari ini.
Dalam pada itu, Tuan Ibrahim menzahirkan ucapan tahniah kepada ketua Pengarah dan warga kerja JAS atas kejayaan merangkul Anugerah Penguatkuasaan Alam Sekitar Asia 2020.
Majlis penganugerahan daripada Program Alam Sekitar Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (UNEP) itu diadakan secara maya hari ini.
“Penghargaan turut diberikan lepada semua agensi penguat kuasa di negara ini iaitu Jabatan Kastam Diraja Malaysia, Jabatan Pengurusan Sisa Pepejal Negara, Perbadanan Pengurusan Sisa Pepejal dan Pembersihan Awam dan semua pihak Berkuasa Pelabuhan yang menjadi ‘kunci’ kepada kejayaan itu,” katanya.
Katanya, kerjasama dan perkongsian maklumat pintar dengan agensi luar negara seperti Pihak berkuasa Kompeten di bawah Konvensyen Basel dan INTERPOL juga banyak membantu usaha JAS.
Read more: Malaysia hantar pulang 254 kontena sisa plastik tahun lepas
Fomca: Categorise retail workers as frontliners
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February 16, 2021 @ 3:23pm
KUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) has called for the authorities to categorise retail workers as frontliners.
Its president, Datuk Dr Marimuthu Nadason, cited the Jalan Telawi cluster which was a case of supermarket workers becoming infected with the Covid-19 virus.
"Supermarket and retail outlet workers have extensive exposure daily to their customers. During the entire pandemic, retail stores have been open to cater to the needs of the rakyat for food and other essentials.
"Retail workers are exposed to their customers, including those who may refuse or neglect to follow the standard SOPs such as wearing masks or keeping a 1m distance from others. This exposes the workers to risk," he said in a statement, today.
On the other hand, he said, if for some reason the workers themselves are infected, especially with no symptoms, they can be a source of infecting other workers and customers, exposing consumers to risk.
Marimuthu added that in some ways, retailers have been on the frontline throughout the pandemic serving consumers in which they live and work.
Throughout the pandemic, consumers have had access to food and other essentials, a crucial component in enabling consumers in facing the lockdowns, he said.
"As such Fomca urges the authorities to move retail workers to the front of the line for early inoculation.
Lesap RM77,000 diperdaya ejen jualan mesin penapis air
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Selasa, 16 Februari 2021 @ 3:30 PM
Ipoh: Sambutan Tahun Baru Cina kali ini menjadi detik hiba buat seorang wanita warga emas yang juga pesara kerajaan apabila wang simpanan bernilai lebih RM77,000 miliknya lesap selepas diperdaya seorang lelaki yang mendakwa sebagai ejen jualan dan selenggaraan mesin penapis air.
Naib Pengerusi MCA Ipoh Timur, Kathleen Wong Mei Yin, berkata mangsa, Ng Kam Moi, 80, didatangi suspek pada 3 Februari lalu yang ingin menjual mesin penapis air bernilai RM7,000 ketika mangsa bersendirian di rumahnya di Taman Chong Kwee, Tanjung Rambutan.
Menurutnya, mangsa membeli mesin berkenaan pada hari sama daripada lelaki itu sebelum suspek berulang kali mengunjungi rumah warga emas terbabit hampir setiap hari kononnya ingin menyelenggara kembali mesin dijualnya itu.
Katanya, bagaimanapun pada 9 Februari lalu suspek memasuki bilik tidur mangsa dan ternampak sijil simpanan tetap milik mangsa bernilai lebih RM76,000, menyebabkan suspek kemudiannya menawarkan mangsa untuk bantu menggantikan perabot serta membeli ubatan.
Kathleen Wong berkata, mangsa mendakwa suspek mahu menjadikannya sebagai ibu angkat berikutan dia mempunyai masalah penglihatan kronik selain buta sebelah mata.
Read more: Lesap RM77,000 diperdaya ejen jualan mesin penapis air
Sirim to develop method to verify electrical goods bought online
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Consumers will soon be able to ensure their purchases have certificates of approval, says agency
15 Feb 2021 4:52PM
SHAH ALAM – Sirim QAS International will develop a method for consumers to check the status of electrical or electronic (E&E) goods purchased online to ensure they have certificates of approval from Sirim and the Energy Commission (EC).
Its chief executive officer, Nur Fadhilah Muhammad, said the effort was necessary because consumers currently cannot know the approval status of the type of goods purchased online until they receive it.
“The method is being developed and will be completed as soon as possible because it is very important to protect consumer rights.
“Sirim currently has an application to make it easier for consumers to check electrical and electronic goods purchased in stores only,” she told a press conference at the launch of the Sirim-EC safety awareness campaign today.
Also present at the virtual press conference were Sirim Bhd group president, CEO Datuk Ahmad Fadzil Mohamad Hani, and EC CEO Abdul Razib Dawood.
The three-month campaign, starting today through Sirim and EC’s social media platforms, aims to increase public awareness on the importance of buying E&E goods that have been approved by both agencies.
“This measure is to prevent accidents or fires that could result in injuries and deaths. Only the Sirim-EC label can confirm that the goods purchased by consumers are safe to be used,” said Fadzil.
Read more: Sirim to develop method to verify electrical goods bought online
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