Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Persatuan-Persatuan Pengguna Malaysia (FOMCA), Saravanan Thambirajah berkata, perkara pertama, ia wajar dilakukan secara bersasar untuk melindungi golongan rentan.

“Jadual tarif baharu itu perlu ambil kira golongan rentan dan melindungi B40 serta M40 dan memberikan rebat khas atau kadar subsidi kepada golongan itu agar mereka tidak terjejas.

“Kedua, perkenal penggunaan tarif mengikut masa iaitu pengguna akan dikenakan kadar lebih rendah jika mereka guna tenaga pada waktu luar puncak manakala kadar lebih tinggi pada waktu puncak.

“Pendekatan ini akan menggalakkan penggunaan tenaga secara bijak, mengurangkan beban pada sistem grid dan memberi peluang kepada pengguna untuk menjimatkan kos,” katanya kepada Sinar Ahad.

Sebelum ini, dilaporkan 85 peratus pemegang akaun domestik iaitu sekitar 7.5 juta orang tidak akan terjejas dengan sebarang perubahan kadar tarif elektrik dan masih dilindungi kerajaan sehingga Jun 2025.

The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) has expressed full support for the enforcement of the smoking ban in all workplace buildings under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSHA) through the 2010 Indoor Air Quality Code of Practice. This ban is also in line with the Public Health (Control of Smoking Products) Act 2024 (Act 853) and the Public Health (Declaration of No-Smoking Areas) Order 2024.

The Importance of the Ban

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the US Surgeon General, there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke. Studies show:

• Secondhand smoke contains over 4,700 harmful chemicals, including 43 carcinogens.
• Prolonged exposure increases the risk of lung cancer, heart disease, and chronic respiratory issues.
• Children are more susceptible, with increased risks of respiratory infections, asthma attacks, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
• It is estimated that over 27,200 deaths in Malaysia annually are caused by tobacco.

The enforcement of this smoking ban in workplaces is crucial in improving indoor air quality, protecting workers’ health, and reducing healthcare costs associated with smoking-related diseases.

PETALING JAYA: Robust enforcement against profiteering and cartel activities is critical in managing the cost of living, says the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations.

Chief executive officer Dr Saravanan Thambirajah said a centralised database is also necessary to monitor prices.

“This will enable more effective, data-driven policymaking and intervention.

“Enforcement against unfair practices is critical in managing the cost-of-living issue,” he said, adding that subsidies must be targeted at those who are deserving of them.

Saravanan said annual regular wage reviews would also ensure that the income of workers was aligned with inflation.

“The current minimum wage is inadequate to address the financial pressures faced by many Malaysians, particularly those in the lower and middle-income groups,” he added.

Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd chief economist Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid said the labour market ecosystem has to be re-examined.

“If we look at the percentage of unionised workers, the ratio has been on the declining trend.

“In 1982, the ratio stood at 11.3% and it went down to 9.3% in 1992, progressively lower to 8.2% in 2002 and last year, the figure was merely 6.2%.

PETALING JAYA: The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) has called on banks to absorb the RM1 charge for each interbank withdrawal instead of forcing customers to pay, especially since they are making huge profits.

Financial reports for 2023 showed that among Malaysia’s top four banks by asset size, Maybank’s net profits grew by 17.5% to RM9.35 billion, CIMB’s rose by 28.3% to RM6.98 billion, Public Bank’s increased by 9% to RM6.6 billion and RHB Bank’s expanded by 4.8% to RM2.81 billion.

According to Bank Negara Malaysia’s (BNM) 2024 Payment Statistics: Payment Channels, Malaysians use ATMs twice a month on average.

Assuming that all transactions involve interbank cash withdrawals, each individual would be charged RM24 per year just because their bank’s ATM is not available near them. This does not take into account customers who use multiple banks. 

Fomca CEO Saravanan Thambirajah said while the net profits of banks are a positive sign that the financial industry and economy are healthy, imposing the fee is unfair, especially when viewed from the perspective of vulnerable populations, even if it is just RM1 per transaction.

“A common concern is that the fee disproportionately affects low-income earners and rural folk, who rely on cash transactions and need to withdraw small amounts of money frequently.

“When their bank’s ATM is not available, they are forced to use the ATMs of other banks, incurring the RM1 fee each time.”

KUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) chief executive officer T. Saravanan has called for a regulatory division to be set up under the Prime Minister's Department to oversee medical insurers and private hospitals.

Saravanan said Fomca does not agree with the interim measures of limiting premium increases to 10 per cent cap, and for healthcare providers to contribute to a fund aimed at reducing insurance costs.

"We disagree with the 10 per cent cap. It should be capped at five or six per cent… We need a social healthcare financing system that will assist the public.

"We do not agree with the proposal to contribute to a fund aimed at making medical insurance more affordable. That would be a waste of money as it would still be industry-controlled and biased.

"What we need is a concrete solution for Malaysia's healthcare system," he said.

Saravanan said the temporary pause on premium increases for the elderly does not tackle the core issue, lack of transparency and governance surrounding medical inflation.

He said that currently there is no proper governance by the relevant agencies, including insurance companies and private hospitals.

PETALING JAYA: Bank Negara's measures to address rising premiums for medical and health insurance or takaful (MHIT) products will provide temporary relief to consumers but it leaves some core issues unaddressed, says the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca).

"We express grave concerns over Bank Negara's recent announcement on the MHIT premium increase cap of no more than 10% over a three-year period.

"While this interim measure aims to provide temporary relief to consumers, it fails to address the root causes of the escalating costs in private healthcare and the structural issues within the MHIT sector," it said.

Fomca said the proposed cap on premium increases was merely a stop-gap measure that masks the larger issue of excessive profits driven by insufficient government control and regulation of the private healthcare sector.

It urged the government to have greater responsibility in regulating the private healthcare sector, including pricing mechanisms for healthcare services and insurance premiums.

"It is high time that medical insurance policies are regulated by the government to ensure that it meets the needs of the population rather than serving as a profit-centric product for insurers," it added.

GEORGE TOWN: The proposed Good Samaritan Act is a timely intervention as the role of first responders is crucial in times of emergency, the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) said.

Fomca vice-president Datuk Indrani Thuraisingham said this was especially so with the high numbers of those suffering from non-communicable diseases including cardiovascular disease, as well as the floods affecting vulnerable communities as a result of climate change.

She, however, called for the proposed law to be extended to cover food aid for the poor and hungry by addressing legal concerns that often hindered individuals, organisations or businesses from donating food.

"The law should explicitly state that individuals, non-profits, and businesses (like restaurants, grocery stores and caterers) donating food in good faith will not be held liable for harm caused by the donated food, as long as the food is safe at the time of donation.

"It should also state that there is no gross negligence, intentional misconduct, or reckless disregard for safety.

"This can encourage more donations by alleviating the fear of lawsuits," she told the New Straits Times.

Indrani said the definition of the Good Samaritan Act should be expanded to include food aid as a recognised act of compassion under the law, alongside traditional emergency assistance.

KUALA LUMPUR: The National Consumer Complaint Centre (NCCC) has received thousands of complaints about second-hand vehicles, including engine damage and water leakages that cause coolant fluid to mix with engine oil.

As a result, the vehicle's engine needs to be replaced at a high cost, but second-hand car sellers refuse to take responsibility for the damage.

NCCC senior manager Saral James Maniam said these were common complaints from victims who had purchased problematic cars.

As a partner of the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca), the centre helps consumers resolve issues by acting as intermediaries between consumers and traders.

"Not only do buyers end up with 'defective' vehicles, but some victims purchase cars that were previously involved in serious accidents or have tampered odometers showing lower mileage," she said in a Metro Ahad report.

"Victims feel cheated when they are forced to bear repair costs. Their claims are often ignored by the sellers."

KUALA LUMPUR: The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) today warned the public about a growing trend of scams involving fake house rental agents.

Its secretary-general, Dr T. Saravanan, said the fraudsters are pretending to be agents to scam potential tenants, including foreign students, by showing rental properties, collecting down payments and then disappearing.

"Many foreign students have fallen prey to these scams due to their unfamiliarity with local rental practices and lack of access to verified information. The scammers often present themselves as professional agents, using fake business cards, online advertisements and social media profiles to appear credible.

"They arrange property viewings, often of units they do not have legal access to, creating a sense of urgency by claiming high demand for the property. Victims are then pressured to make immediate down payments to secure the unit, only for the agents to vanish after receiving the funds," he said in a statement.

THE Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (FOMCA) has criticised the delays in settling medical dispute claims by the Ombudsman for Financial Services (OFS).

Its president Datuk Marimuthu Nadason said the long wait erodes the trust and confidence of financial services consumers in OFS’s consumer dispute resolution system.

“The OFS was set up to provide fair treatment to consumers. Not all complaints from the financial services sector are accepted by OFS, hence no opportunity for the consumer to be heard,” he told The Health newspaper. 

Marimuthu said the most serious complaint is the long waiting time for a financial service complaint to be resolved. According to the OFS 2022 report, more than 36% of cases were pending for over six months.

He was responding to an article in the March-April issue of The Health on the timeline the OFS took in settling medical claims and financial disputes. Following the article, feedback from readers indicated that it could take more than a year for a dispute to be settled.

Formerly known as the Financial Mediation Bureau, the OFS is supposed to provide independent, fair, efficient and effective dispute resolution to financial consumers. Its service is free for all financial consumers (individuals and SMEs).