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Showing posts with label consumer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label consumer. Show all posts

Boycott Dutch products, say consumer groups

The Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia has called on Muslims to boycott Dutch-made products to protest against the screening of anti-Islam film Fitna by Dutch legislator Geert Wilders.

The association, together with the NGO Consultative Council and the Muslim Restaurants Association of Malaysia, said in a statement that the video “openly insulted the Quran.”

Such an irresponsible act could affect world peace and relations between religious groups and Muslim consumers should object to the act, it said.

“We believe the boycott will send a clear message to people not to play with the sensitivities of Muslims,” it said.

The PAS Central Youth Council also called for a boycott of Dutch products, saying that it condemned the screening of the film and demanded immediate action by the producer to retrieve it.

In Malacca, Malay Islamic World Secretariat chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam described the filmmaker as “uncivilised” and “insane” as his actions may result in losses and harm to innocent people affected by the film.

He said the secretariat was expected to send a protest note to the Dutch Embassy over the film.

He supported moves by companies here to initiate legal action against Wilders if they suffered losses following a call to boycott Dutch products by Muslim consumers.

In Nilai, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi urged Muslim intellectuals and youths who have been campaigning for the Opposition through the Internet to show their indignation against the film through the medium.

“They should take advantage of their resourcefulness and skills which they had used against the establishment, this time to defend Islam,” he told reporters after opening the National Fatwa Council meeting.

Wilders had launched the film on the Internet after Dutch distributors refused to release it on Thursday.

The Malaysian National Islamic Students Association has sent a protest note to the Dtuch government, expressing its disappointment over the film.

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CAP: Kids viewing porn, drinking beer in cybercafes

Schoolchildren are being allowed into local cybercafes to view pornographic anime and play sex-based computer games such as Nasty Anime Game and The Sexy Empire, according to the Consumers Association of Penang.

Its president S.M. Mohamed Idris said a parent handed them 11 CD-ROM games depicting naked women in various poses after catching his son playing such a game at a cybercafe.

“The parent conducted her own investigations and found that the games could easily be bought for only RM5 each from shops in shopping malls on the island.

“We also conducted random checks on about 15 cycbercafes two days ago and found that these children, aged between 13 and 15, were being allowed into the premises without any adult supervision.

“A few of these children who were questioned, admitted to visiting cybercafes to play the sex-based computer games and also to watch hentai which is pornographic Japanese anime,” he said Friday.

Mohamed Idris said they also visited pornographic websites on the cybercafes’ computers, which did not have filtering programmes. The cybercafes charged between RM3 and RM7 for an hour’s use of their computers.

“We also found these schoolchildren openly smoking and drinking beer which were sold in these premises.

“The Education Ministry and local government authorities should act immediately to halt such unhealthy activities,” he said.

Copies of the pornographic computer games were later handed over to George Town OCPD Asst Comm Azam Abd Hamid at his office in Patani Road.

ACP Azam said the police were aware of the problem and had raided several cybercafes, which were popular haunts for teenagers.

“A few operators were arrested. Students caught playing truant were handed over to their parents.”

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New CM waives summonses

New Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has introduced a series of populist decisions from giving a one-time waiver of summonses issued by local councils to the abandoning of New Economic Policy measures by the state administration.

He said the state government also wanted to foster harmonious relations with the Federal Government in all respects and he would seek an appointment with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to discuss moves to address the needs of the people of Penang.

He said this during a press conference after being sworn in as Chief Minister at his new office in Komtar here yesterday.

Lim said the key areas of the new agenda for Penang included the economy, governance and social needs of the people. (See chart)

He said the agenda for change would “re-establish rule by the rakyat.”

He also said that the Chief Minister, state exco members, speaker and deputy speaker, as well as the heads of the Penang and Seberang Prai municipal councils would be required to publicly declare their personal assets.

On the move to waive summonses issued by the Penang and Seberang Prai Municipal Councils before March 11, Lim said the move was to help reduce the burden faced by the people, especially the poor.

However, further offences of such nature would not be excused, he said.

Lim said he hoped to discuss with Abdullah the possibility of using Petronas’ proceeds to fully fund the construction cost of the Federal Government’s second Penang Bridge project.

He also hoped federal funding to Penang would not be affected by the change of government, adding that the funding was provided for under the Federal Constitution.

“I don't think Abdullah wants to see Penangites suffer just because they exercised their right to vote in the March 8 elections,” he said.

On how he felt being the Chief Minister, Lim replied: “Being a former prisoner, I did not expect to sit on the chief minister's chair. It is really a transformation and quite an experience for me.”

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Botched cosmetic surgery victims not making reports

The Malaysian Medical Council cannot take action against doctors involved in botch cosmetic surgeries if no complainants step forward to lodge a report, Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said.

In the case of Datin Fatimah Wan Chik, wife of Labuan incumbent Datuk Suhaili Abdul Rahman, who had been in coma since she got into complications from a cosmetic surgery she had undergone at a clinic in Klang on Jan 9, he said the MMC had received a written explanation from the doctor who did the cosmetic surgery.

“But we cannot do anything if no one lodges a complaint,” said the Health Ministry director-general and MMC president Dr Ismail.

He said this after launching the book Medical Ethics, Etiquette and Law by Dr Abdul-Hamid Abdul-Kadir here yesterday.

Fatimah had been on life-support since Jan 18, after she had undergone a tummy tuck, liposuction and surgery for her eye bags.

Dr Abdul-Hamid, who is the MMC Ethics Committee chairman, said currently the law requires a complainant to come forward before any action can be taken against the doctor.

“We cannot act based on hearsay,” he said, adding that nevertheless MMC is taking action to prevent such thing from happening again.

Many doctors lack ethical knowledge because medical schools do not emphasis on that and the book is the first of its kind for medical students and young doctors, he said.

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Banks agree to 7% pay increase

KUALA LUMPUR: Banks have agreed to pay an interim 7% salary rise for employees under the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE).

The Malaysian Commercial Banks Association (MCBA) said the salary adjustment would be based on the basic salary as of Dec 31, 2005, with arrears backdated to Jan 1, 2006.

This followed months of negotiations between NUBE and MCBA.

The payment will be made on Feb 29, to about 28,000 members.

The statement added that the decision was in line with the advice of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.


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Cheaper KL-Singapore flights

KUALA LUMPUR: Travellers will be able to get more cheaper flights between here and Singapore as the two national carriers have agreed to include all their flights between the two countries into an expanded code-sharing agreement.

Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines have expanded their agreement to cover the 26 flights that operate between KLIA and Changi Airport from Monday.

Presently, the two airlines operate these flights on separate flight codes although certain number of seats were designated as shuttle ticket where passengers bought their tickets at the airports.

The rest of the seats, under the previous agreement, must be sold at “published fare” rate.

At present, a published fare rate for a return ticket to Singapore costs RM856 (fare is RM532 while taxes and surcharges is RM324).

The code-sharing will reduce this by about RM200. SIA has already advertised its fare at RM628 inclusive of all taxes and surcharges. MAS is expected to charge about the same.

Unlike a shuttle ticket, where a passenger gets a seat on a first come-first-serve basis, these tickets will be a confirmed seat and travellers need not line up to get a place on board the flight.

A return shuttle ticket without taxes and surcharges is RM431.

MAS commercial director Datuk Abdul Rashid Khan said in a statement the two airlines would determine their own fares for flights between the two cities once the expanded agreement takes effect.

“MAS will commence offering competitive fares for this route effective Jan 25 (today).

“With this new agreement, all air links between Malaysia and Sing-apore by MAS, SIA and Silk Air are now covered by code share arrangements.

“This augurs well for travellers who will continue to enjoy more flight choices and affordable fares for travel on any of the three carriers,” he added.

Analysts said this latest move by the two national carriers were a direct reaction to the two Govern-ments allowing budget carriers AirAsia, Tiger Airways and Jetair Asia to also operate on the Singapore-KL route.

They said the expanded agreement would enable MAS and SIA to promote flights out of the two countries as well, especially with their other code-sharing partners.


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Sarawak to have mega wholesale markets

MIRI: Mega wholesale food markets, each measuring the size of 50 football fields combined, will be set up in major urban cities in Sarawak to cater to the increasing needs of a growing urban population.

The state government has identified sites in Kuching, Miri and Sibu for such markets to be built; areas where the urban population is fast booming, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan Hong Nam.

Dr Chan, who is also State Industrial Development Minister and State Agriculture Modernisation Minister, said this concept of having one huge food market to cater to the needs in a particular city or big town is rather new to this state.

“We will have at least three of these huge food markets in Sarawak, one each in Kuching, Miri and Sibu. Each of them will measure 50 acres in size (50 football fields). These markets will serve as a central hub to sell all kinds of agriculture products and food.

“It will be a place for people to congregate and buy foodstuffs that are very fresh in big quantities. Huge cold storage depots will be built in each of these markets.

“We have identified one area in Sibu for this already. In Miri, it will be located in the outskirts of the city in Bekenu where there are lots of farms and orchards,” he said after discussing the idea with the Miri City Council.

Dr Chan said that at present, those who want to buy fresh products in bulk need to source them from scattered sellers all over the city.

By having a central mega food market, people can head to one venue as it would serve as a convenient one-stop hub for buying all sorts of food, he stressed.

It is important for such food hubs to be developed in Sarawak because of the growing needs of the expanding population, he said.

Dr Chan said another advantage of setting up such mega food markets is that it would enable growers and farm-hands from rural and semi-rural districts to gather in one particular site to sell their produce.

This means that they need not sell through middlemen or sell to buyers in scattered locations.

The state government would allocate adequate land for such mega markets to be built, he said.

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EPF declares 5.8% dividend

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government has announced a 5.8% Employees Provident Fund (EPF) dividend for last year, up from 5.15% in 2006.

Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop said the dividend would be credited into members’ accounts on March 1.

“The EPF has been efficient in managing the fund and is able to declare an attractive dividend rate,” he said.

He made the announcement after a closed-door briefing at the EPF headquarters here yesterday.

The EPF’s dividend rate has been steadily growing since it hit a low of 4.25% in 2002.

“Investment in foreign assets has achieved good returns and I hope the EPF will continue to take new initiatives for the country’s development,” said Nor Mohamed.

The EPF, the sixth biggest old age fund manager in Asia, has RM312bil in assets and plays an important role in the country’s development, he said.

It has in its portfolio US$1.8bil (RM5.76bil) worth of assets in foreign countries, a result of recent diversification efforts, he said.

“Although the current market situation will affect us in the short term, Malaysia has big savings funds and this is a good opportunity, given our strong fundamentals, for the funds to pick up some stocks because prices are attractive,” he said.

On the housing loan monthly instalment withdrawal scheme introduced on Jan 1, Nor Mohamed said the response was good and the EPF had approved 4,378 applications amounting to RM75mil as of Monday.

EPF chief executive officer Datuk Azlan Zainol said the Fund hoped

to invest more in the local and

foreign markets if opportunities arose.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the EPF's dividend rate had nothing to do with the coming general election.

He said the higher dividend was given out because the EPF was able to generate higher returns as its share investment portfolio had made more profits.

“When we have more money, we give more. Why say it is the election?” he said after a briefing for 3,000 Umno members at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

On the share market, Abdullah said the country's well-managed economy was among the factors which have maintained investors' confidence in the market.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Trades Union Congress president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud said the MTUC had hoped for a slightly higher figure than 5.8%.

“We hope they will give better dividends in future,” he said.

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The best kept e-secret at JPJ

PETALING JAYA: Few drivers realise that they can renew their driving licences online without having to leave the comfort of their homes.

And for a small fee, they can even have their licence renewal slip delivered to them by registered mail or courier.

With few knowing about the facility available on the Road Transport Department's (JPJ) website since April last year, the response to the online renewal service has been poor.

JPJ director-general Datuk Ahmad Mustapha Abdul Rashid said only 687 people renewed their licences online so far, way short of the 1,000-driver target expected in the first year of implementation. Every year, some seven million motorist renew their licences.

“Maybe it is because it has not been promoted enough by the e-services (concessionaires).

“But hopefully things will pick up. Malaysians are a bit sceptical at first (about new technology), but later on they will accept and use it, like on-line banking,” he told The Star.

He also added that there were 11 million Competent Driver’s Licence (CDL) holders in the country.

Drivers' may renew their CDL by accessing the JPJ website at www.jpj.gov.my, and clicking on the CDL Renewal Online link.

Applicants need to provide the usual personal particulars, such as their MyKad number, licence expiry date and their mobile phone number.

Via the online form, they can choose to renew their licences from one to five years, as well as decide on how they would like to collect and pay for the renewal slip.

The fee remain the same – a renewal fee of RM30 per year and a processing fee of RM2. Drivers who want their licences delivered to them will be charged a small delivery fee between RM5 and RM10, depending on location.

Those who do not want the renewal slip may head to any state JPJ branch to upload the renewal information into their MyKad.

Applicants can also choose to collect their renewal slip from one of the many e-service centres in the country, which are operated by e-services concessionaires MyEG Services Bhd and mySPEED Sdn Bhd. Payment can be made via credit card, or electronic online payment systems such as e-cash and e-debit.

Ahmad Mustapha assured users that the system was secure and reliable.

“So far, I haven’t heard anything about the system going down. And it is safe to provide your financial details. There have been no complaints,” he said.

By renewing their licences online, drivers will no longer have to worry about forgetting to renew their licences in future, as the system will send a reminder via SMS to the mobile phone number provided.

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Boric acid found in noodles

YELLOW noodles made by two renowned factories have been found to contain dangerous chemicals which can cause cancer and impotence, reported Harian Metro.

According to the front-page report, despite repeated warnings from the Health Ministry, manufacturers were still churning out noodles with high levels of boric acid and benzoic acid.

It said tests found that when these yellow noodles were mixed with turmeric powder, they turned blood-red in less than 10 seconds.

This was found at two different noodle factories in Kampung Baru Sungai Buloh.

The newspaper said that if the noodles did not contain boric acid, they would remain yellow when mixed with turmeric.

The use of boric acid and benzoic acid in food is prohibited because it can cause cancer and impotence, as well as other health problems such as kidney failure, diarrhoea, nausea and even death.

It is often used as a preservative for insect control and in the manufacture of furniture and glass. However, noodle manufacturers have opted to use it in their food despite the known health risks, because the noodles stay “fresh” longer.

The Islamic Development Department (Jakim), which raided the two manufacturers, has withdrawn the halal certification for the noodles.

The authorities also found boxes containing white benzoic acid powder hidden away in one of the factories.

The newspaper also reported that one of the factories had been caught in 2006 also for use of boric and benzoic acid.

Heady issue
Kosmo! reported that awareness was still low among motorcyclists on the need to wear good quality helmets.

It reported that many motorcyclists were wearing low-quality helmets, with worn out sponges, while a number of others were wearing decades-old helmets.

It interviewed a number of motorcyclists and found that some had their helmets for 20 years and saw no point in buying a new one because they rarely travelled long distances on the bike.

Others felt more comfortable in their old ones and some felt thieves were less likely to steal old helmets.

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Long-distance bus fares expected to go up

THE Government has agreed in principle to raise long-distance bus fares, said Pan Malaysia Bus Operators Association president Datuk Mohamad Ashfar Ali.

However, the margin of the increase will be known only in three months, after the Government has carried out a survey, reported China Press.

“We still are not sure whether the Government will increase the petrol subsistence or allow us to raise bus fares,” Mohamad Ashfar said.

He said the Government was aware of the plight of bus operators after a 50-year-old bus company ceased operations recently.

He said the association had urged the Government to allow a 100% fare increase.

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High-rise consumers getting unhealthy water

PENANG: Residents in high-rise buildings could be consuming water that may be potentially hazardous to their health because of a loophole in the water supply law, according to Consumers Association of Penang (CAP).

CAP president S.M. Mohamed Idris said there was no law in Malaysia that compelled management bodies of high-rise buildings to be responsible for the maintenance of the internal water supply from the meter to the tap.

“Water storage tanks in these buildings may not have been inspected for years. There is thus a high risk for bacterial and chemical contamination in such tanks, posing a health risk to consumers,” he said.

He said it was high time the Water Services Industry Act was amended to make the management bodies responsible for the maintenance of water storage tanks in their respective premises.

“Only licensed water service operators should be hired to carry out tank maintenance and cleaning jobs,” he told a press conference recently.

He said Singapore had imposed strict regulations under its Public Utilities (Water Supply) Regulations and Singapore Standard CP48: Code of Practice for Water Services to ensure clean water supply for consumers.

“In Singapore, building owners, management corporations and town councils are legally compelled to engage licensed plumbers to inspect water storage tanks at least once a year.

“When the need arises, the tanks are cleaned and disinfected,” he said.

He said Malaysia should emulate the example set by Singapore.

CAP would submit reports to Health Ministry, local government agencies and the National Water Service Commission (SPAN) to highlight the matter, he said.

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Ministry to ensure safe food for CNY

PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry will step up checks to ensure that festive foodstuff from China is safe for consumption.

Its director-general Tan Sri Dr Ismail Merican said state health departments will be told to send out their officers next week to carry out more checks on all food, especially those from China.

“We will tell the states what to focus on,” he said.

Food found to have breached food regulations in the past would come under specific scrutiny.

They include mandarin oranges for pesticide residue, dace fish for malachite green, waxed duck, preserved fruits and vegetables, seaweed for heavy metals, honey for antibiotics and mushrooms for pesticide residue.

For domestic products, inspections will target meat for banned substances such as beta agonist, expired food products and labelling.

Any suspected food product would be seized, he said.

Food found to have contravened the Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985 would either be destroyed or returned to the country of origin.

In the past, honey, oyster sauce and dried mushrooms were among food products from China that made it to the food alert list in Malaysia.

Past Health Ministry data showed that pesticide residue was detected in dried mushrooms on four occasions last year.

Drug residue was found in honey samples and the cancer-causing agent 3-MCPD was found in oyster sauce.

From January to October last year, 32 Chinese products were placed under the ministry’s Food Safety Information System level five alert, where products are held, tested and released.

Other products included frozen eels, seaweed, frozen royal red prawns, shitake mushrooms and salted turnips. All other China-imported food items were put on level four alert, which requires examination.

“So far, there have been no major problems,” Dr Ismail said.

There were no major problems with items such as mandarin oranges last year, he added.

Checks are expected to continue until the end of February at entry points and premises nationwide.

Malaysia imports US$680mil (RM2.3bil) worth of food items from China yearly.

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Checks to ensure smooth flow of cooking oil

PUTRAJAYA: More checks on smuggling and hoarding and an increase in production. These measures should solve the shortage of cooking oil nationwide.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shafie Apdal said certain states had already shown improvement such as in Kelantan and Terengganu where refiners have been instructed to send consignments directly to the outlets.

The situation in Malacca, Pahang, Perlis and Kedah should be resolved by the end of the week, he added.

Shafie said part of the additional consignment of 15,000 tonnes a month would be sent to hypermarkets and supermarkets in various states, including the Klang Valley soon to meet demand.

He said so far no one had been caught smuggling subsidised cooking oil at border towns.

“There will be enough cooking oil for everyone and no one need worry.

“The production for local consumption is also more than adequate,” he told reporters at the ministry's monthly gathering yesterday.

Shafie said a consultant was conducting a study on the price increase of all goods in the country.

The aim is to predict future price hikes and the supply and demand curve.

“The consultants have been told to pin down the important issues and to address the issue of price increase in controlled items to be fair to the industry and consumers,” he said.

In Johor Baru, Pacific Oil and Fats Industries Sdn Bhd (Pac Oil) general manager Syed Mohammad Hussain Shah said his company was able to produce up to 3,000 tonnes of packed cooking oil monthly but the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) only allowed them to produce 421 tonnes.

“They had increased it to 598 tonnes for this month but we are able to produce much more,” he said.

Syed Mohammad said MPOB should review its allocation of quota in order to alleviate the current cooking oil shortage affecting households and smaller consumers in the country.

He said demand from domestic consumers for cooking oil was about 45,000 tonnes monthly.

“The consumer is not getting the product because there is another market segment for palm oil for hoteliers, hawkers and other traders where the oil is packed in 15kg and 20kg bottles.

“Consumers are buying 1kg, 2kg and 5kg packages but the other market segments are also buying the oil in bulk,” he said.

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Pie in the face awaits middlemen who hoard

KUALA LUMPUR: Middlemen hoarding flour are in for a nasty shock.

If they do not supply their

customers, restaurant owners can call the Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners' Association at 03-2697 0950 to get supply from elsewhere.

And the middlemen could be left holding the baby with no takers.

With millers in the country being told to increase their production, there should be no shortage, said association president Datuk R. Ramalingam Pillai after meeting Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shafie

Apdal.

“The ministry is also mounting checks on whether middlemen are hoarding and hoping to increase the price.

“Wholesalers are charging between RM5 and RM15 more than the price-controlled rate of RM33.60 for the 25kg bag of flour. This is more common in small towns,” he said.

He thanked Shafie for responding speedily and ensuring more flour supply in the market.

Up north, however, there seems to be enough supply to go around.

Malaysian Islamic Restaurant Operators Association president K.K. Sihabutheen said there was no shortage of flour at nasi kandar restaurants in Penang, Kedah and Perlis.

“We are still getting our regular wheat flour supply from the wholesalers. And, we are still selling roti canai at only 80 sen per piece,” he said in an interview yesterday.

State Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry enforcement unit chief M. Gunaselan said there was no major shortage of flour supply in Penang.

“Consumers too should not rush to stock up flour for fear of a shortage or price increase,” he said.

Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) president S.M. Mohd Idris said the Government should cap all brands of flour at the controlled price of RM1.35.

He noted that although the price of roti canai had not increased in many restaurants, its weight and size had shrunk.

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Panic buying and rumours of price increases blamed

Saturday January 5, 2008

IPOH: Panic buying as a result of rumours of price hikes has been identified as the cause of a shortage in cooking oil and flour in Perak.

State Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Department director Ahmad Nasir Khosri said checks showed that there was ample supply of the two items in the state.

Speaking to reporters after meeting manufacturers, re-packers and hypermarkets here, Ahmad Nasir said consumers should continue to buy according to their needs.

Ahmad Nasir also noted that there were consumers in Perak who bought additional cooking oil and flour for their relatives in neighbouring states following reports of shortages there.

He urged consumers to call the department hotline at 05-249 3403 if they were facing a shortage in their area.

In Malacca, state human resource, health and domestic trade and consumer affairs committee chairman Datuk Ab. Karim Sulaiman said the shortage of cooking oil in the state was expected to be over within two days.

In Penang, State Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Lau Chiek Tuan said there would be ample supply of cooking oil in a few days.

He said that after the higher demand during the recent Deepavali and Hari Raya, cooking oil re-packers “now have 100% of their subsidised cooking oil quota for January.”

The people should thus avoid panic buying, said Lau.

In Alor Star, some retailers had to go all out to get enough supply for their customers.

Retailer Mohd Kamil Abdul Majid, 53, who operates a sundry shop in Pekan Bukit Pinang in Kepala Batas here, said he had been experiencing cooking oil shortage for about a month.

“If I get it from other retail shops, my profit is only 10 sen. If I source from wholesalers, my profit is 20 sen a packet,” he said, adding that cooking oil was sold at RM2.70 per packet.

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5kg per buyer limit for cooking oil

Friday January 4, 2008


PUTRAJAYA: Retail sales of cooking oil will be limited to 5kg per buyer from next week, as a short-term measure to solve shortage of the essential household item.

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Shafie Apdal said the restriction in was necessary to prevent hoarding or panic buying, adding that the ruling would apply to all outlets, inclduing hypermarkets, supermarkets retail outlets and grocery stores.

The minister said manufacturers had been told to increase production by 10% from 48,000 tonnes to 53,886 tonnes a month

"With the restriction in place and the increase in production, we hope to be able to solve the shortage problem within a week or two.

"At the same time, the ministry will study other measures, including to stop leakages in the distribution system to prevent the problem from recurring," he told a press conference Friday.

Among states be experiencing shortages are Kelantan, Pahang, Malacca, Kedah along with some parts of the Klang Valley.

He said smuggling also contributed to the shortage and the ministry had alerted enforcement agencies at the country's north and south borders to conduct strict surveillance to prevent cooking oil from being taken out of the country.

"The shortage has also occurred because of the rising population. There are also more businesses such as restaurants being opened.

"We have been told that industries are also buying oil in small packets, which is subsidised by the government instead of in larger quantities." he said.

Last year, the ministry directed 23 cooking oil manufacturers to increase output to 48,000 tonnes a month, an increase of an additional 3,000 tonnes monthly from 2006.

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Smart offer for tags

Wednesday December 26, 2007

PAGOH: A 10% discount and insurance coverage will be given to highway users who purchase Smart Tags from Feb 1, said Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu.

This means motorists will pay RM90 per unit instead of the present RM100.

Samy Vellu said that those who purchase the tags and Touch ‘N Go cards would also be provided a free insurance package for the loss or damage of the items.

“They will also be eligible for personal accident insurance worth RM10,000 and compensation for medical expenses worth RM2,000 for the period of one year from Etiqa Insurance and Takaful,” he said.

He was speaking to reporters at a press conference after the launch of the newly-refurbished southbound Pagoh rest stop along the North-South Expressway (NSE).

Samy Vellu said that the price reduction was decided upon after discussions between the Government, the highway concessionaires and Rangkaian Segar Sdn Bhd, the manufacturers of the Smart Tags and Touch ‘N Go cards.

“The price promotion and insurance scheme is one of the Government’s methods of encouraging the use of Smart Tags and reducing the traffic congestion at toll plazas,” he said.

He also said that the third lane between Seremban and Ayer Keroh on the NSE has been completed and is now open to motorists while the Rawang-Slim River stretch is expected to be ready before Chinese New Year next year.

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Early warning system on slope movements



IPOH: An early warning system on slope movements has been installed to ensure the safety of motorists travelling along the Simpang Pulai-Pos Slim road to Cameron Highlands.

The warning system, which records slope movements at Gunung Pass, is part of several measures to ensure the 56km-long road is not dangerous to motorists.

“It is safe to use the road despite the current rainy spell because adequate measures have been taken to check soil erosion along the route,” Perak Public Utility and Infrastructure Committee chairman Datuk Ho Cheng Wang said Monday.

Ho said the warning system, installed at a cost of RM500,000, would give real-time data of earth movements on the unstable slopes of Gunung Pass.

Top officers at the Perak Public Works Department (PWD) would receive a notification on their mobile phone if the earth movement recorded were at an alarming rate, he said.

“With that, we can send out early warnings to motorists should there be a need for us to stop them from using the road,” he said, adding that the computerised early-warning system was set up in early December and was now on a trial run.

Soil erosion is known to occur along the Simpang Pulai-Pos Slim road, particularly at Gunung Pass, during a downpour.

The road is popular among motorists travelling from here to Cameron Highlands because it reduces the travelling time by more than an hour.


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‘Don’t burden consumers’



PUTRAJAYA: Regulators of the telecommunications and utilities industry must make sure that companies do not make too much profit.

Water, Energy and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said these companies must be told that they should only expect “reasonable profit.”

“These companies cannot be allowed to make so much profit to the point that consumers suffer. This is particularly true for companies relating to the provision of utilities such as water and electricity.

“If they want to increase tariffs, they must have a reason for this which must be worked out on an economic basis. Regulators such as the National Water Services Commission, the Communications and Multimedia Commission and the Energy Commission have the responsibility to ensure this,” he said in his speech at the ministry’s monthly assembly here yesterday. Dr Lim said it was important that members in the various commissions were well versed with the economics within each industry.

“They must balance the whole situation and not be afraid to decide. Regulators must also make sure that the industry they are charged to look after is sustainable in the long-term and if not, they must be prepared to revamp the whole system,” he said, adding that he was specially concerned about the energy sector.

The sector, added Dr Lim, was being hampered by the subsidies for gas and coal, and regulators would have to come up with a more suitable model soon.

“We have 42% energy reserve and our grid is robust. Yet there are thousands of electricity breakdowns in the country. Something is wrong with Tenaga’s maintenance of its facilities.

“We will have to check if Tenaga can afford its maintenance and if it is being efficient,” he added.


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