PETALING JAYA : Malaysians may have to pay more for their greens if the monsoon season continues to bring persistent rainfall, says the Malaysian Federation of Vegetable Farmers Association. Its president Lim Ser Kwee said recent flooding in several countries, including Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia had begun to push up prices of vegetables. “We import a large variety of vegetables from these three countries and the prices have increased recently due to the recent massive flooding there. “Also affected is the supply from China due to recent cold snaps affecting harvest,” he said when contacted yesterday. On the local front, Lim said while Cameron Highlands and several parts of the country may have escaped the recent floods, cloudy skies had also affected crop yields. “Luckily, Cameron Highlands and states such as Johor, Pahang and Melaka were not hit by heavy downpours and floods. “But the lack of sunshine affected the growing and maturing cycles of vegetables such as sawi bunga (Chinese flowering cabbage) and tomatoes,” he said. He cited the prices of tomatoes, which have increased to over RM5 per kg as compared to RM2 and RM4 per kg previously. It was also reported that prices of some local and imported vegetables had increased by between RM5 and RM8 per kg recently. Lim said the situation would worsen if states such as Johor and Pahang are hit with persistent rainfall during the monsoon. He added that the federation, which has over 6,000 members nationwide, has yet to determine the actual losses. “We have had reports of losses but so far, our members in Penang were not too badly affected.” According to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), the northeast monsoon will continue until March next year, bringing five to seven episodes of heavy rain, which could cause floods in low-lying and riverine areas. Last Thursday, MetMalaysia issued a warning for continuous heavy rain and strong winds over a large swathe of Peninsular Malaysia due to the development of the rare tropical storm Senyar in the Strait of Malacca. Cameron Highlands Vegetable Farmers Organisation president Datuk Chai Kok Lim said that vegetable farms in the highlands were not affected by recent floods. “It did not disrupt farming operations here and fortunately, the weather has been sunny over the past few days. “We hope that it remains this way but there is a fear that the monsoon will bring heavy rain again,” he said, adding that there were about 2,000 farmers in Cameron Highlands. Meanwhile, the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry has activated its disaster operation room to assist farmers, planters, livestock owners and fishermen affected by floods in several states. It was activated on Nov 28, following MetMalaysia’s forecasts for the current monsoon season.
5天前
PETALING JAYA : Better incentives, including flexible working hours, are vital to retain nurses in the face of a critical shortage, particularly in Malaysia’s public healthcare sector. Malayan Nurses Union president Saaidah Athman said the average starting salary for nurses is around RM1,800, with new recruits placed under the Employees Provident Fund scheme instead of the civil service pension scheme. Meanwhile, the starting salary of a U29 grade nurse with a nursing diploma begins at RM1,797 in the public sector. A RM100 allowance is paid to specialist nurses with advanced qualifications in the form of post-basic incentive allowance. “All these will not attract the younger generation to nursing. They would definitely choose to go to the private sector or overseas, where the salaries are better and there is some flexibility in working hours. “The workload is also rising with the increasing number of patients. Some have to do double duty with tasks not limited to nursing care, but also administrative work, moving patients across units, pushing medicine trolleys to the pharmacy and so on. “So, one can imagine how exhausted nurses here are compared to overseas, where nurses only focus on their respective nursing care duties,” she said. She added that the transition to the 45-hour work week is not helping at all. Aside from resignations and low intakes, she said fewer colleges are offering nursing courses, which has impacted the number of prospective nurses joining the workforce. “The Health Ministry must fix the nursing system by offering attractive incentives and flexible working hours,” she said, adding that the post-basic incentive allowance must also be reviewed as RM100 is too low. “Nurses are paid RM3,000 and above for post-basic allowance overseas, and in private practice in Asia, it is about RM500,” Saaidah noted. Independent health advocate Dr Sean Thum agreed, saying that Malaysian nurses are drawn abroad due to the very real possibility of a more balanced life there. Therefore, he said, raising remuneration is key in ensuring adequate manpower in public healthcare. “We don’t pay well enough. Indeed, we are lacking in staff, so the existing staff will have to shoulder more work,” he said. In a statement, Senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran said if the government, particularly the Public Service Department (JPA), continues with the 45-hour work week within the “already crippled” healthcare system, it would lead more healthcare workers quitting. “JPA has to bear responsibility if this fails,” he said, adding that the move to increase the work week to 45 hours is insensitive and highly risky. “I have engaged with many nursing associations and unions within the Health Ministry, and the majority have expressed that they will not be able to endure it if the workload continues to increase without any form of compensation or resolution to their welfare,” said the former director of Hospital Sungai Bakap in Penang. The morale of healthcare workers is currently at its lowest point, he added. “What is needed is not an added burden but support, incentives and recognition for their sacrifices in safeguarding […]
5月前
PETALING JAYA : The expanded Sales and Service tax (SST) may have a limited short-term effect on inflation, and to prevent dishonest traders from profiteering, economists say Malaysians play a crucial role in curbing unnecessary price hikes. They advise consumers to be vigilant when shopping and avoid buying products from dishonest traders. Economist Geoffrey Williams said consumers must be tough on companies that exploit the implementation of the expanded SST and raise prices unnecessarily. He said they can report such companies for profiteering to the authorities or even name the company on social media. “Naming and shaming profiteers online is very effective, as well as boycotting the worst offenders. “But, this requires group action where NGOs and consumer groups can play a role,” said Williams. He also said companies could play a role by being transparent with prices and having comparisons with their competitors. “Those that treat customers well will keep and gain customers and those with bad attitudes will lose business,” said Williams. He added that consumers should be aware of which products are affected under the expanded SST when they go shopping. “If they see prices rising on products that had the same tax rate, they can report it to the authorities for profiteering. “The effect on inflation will be limited and temporary because this is a one-off effect on only a small sample of goods and services. Most of the consumer price index constituents are unaffected,” added Williams. He was commenting on the SST expansion which began on July 1 which saw zero rate taxes remaining for essential goods, while a rate of 5% to 10% was imposed on non-essential items. An 8% service tax will be imposed on rental or leasing services, with no tax imposed on residential housing, reading material, monetary leasing and tangible assets outside Malaysia. A 6% service tax will be levied on construction work services related to infrastructure, commercial and industrial buildings. Socio-Economic Research Centre executive director Lee Heng Guie said consumer activism played a crucial role in addressing unnecessary price hikes and Malaysians themselves should be vigilant and report any unjustified price hikes to the authorities. “To manage price pressures, the government can improve price monitoring, providing clear communication to the public, and strict enforcement of tax compliance to prevent price gouging,” said Lee. He also said the government could implement awareness campaigns and maintain clear guidelines as well as strict enforcement of tax compliance to prevent excessive profiteering. The inflationary effects from the implementation of the expanded SST, he said, was not expected to have a lasting impact on the country. “While price adjustments are anticipated, particularly on non-essential items and services estimated between 0.5 and 1 percentage points in the short-term, this will likely taper off over time,” added Lee. He said low- and middle-income earners were likely to be affected by the expanded SST implementation despite exemptions on essential items and cash handouts such as Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah by the government. “The increase in SST on a broader […]
5月前
PETALING JAYA : Consumers should brace themselves for a gradual increase in prices of goods following the implementation of the new electricity tariffs effective July 1, say business groups. This is because manufacturers and those in the affected sectors may not be able to absorb higher costs and would likely pass on to consumers. SME Association of Malaysia president Chin Chee Seong said it is too early to gauge the overall increase in electricity bills for businesses. “It is difficult to say how much their electricity bills will increase at the moment. “Talk among some SMEs is that there is likely to be at least a 20% increase in electricity bills,” he said when contacted yesterday. Chin said the association will gather feedback from its members to determine how much more they have to pay for their electricity. Asked whether the SMEs will absorb the higher electricity costs, Chin said it is unlikely. “Most of them would not absorb the cost and pass it down to either their supply chain or consumers. “We should expect to see an increase in prices, especially among the SMEs, food and beverage, and the retail sectors,” he said. Federation of Malaysian Business Association vice-chairman Nivas Ragavan said some businesses may try to absorb the electricity cost increase, but not entirely. “Manufacturers have always tried to absorb cost increases where possible through efficiency measures and cost optimisation. “However, with rising cumulative costs such as raw materials, logistics, labour and now energy, many, particularly the SMEs and export-driven businesses with thin margins, will not be able to absorb the full cost,” he said when contacted yesterday. He said the manufacturing sector is expected to see its electricity bills increase between 5% and 7%. “For energy-intensive industries, the impact could be more significant, especially if they are not eligible for the Imbalance Cost Pass-Through rebate,” he added. As a result of this, Nivas said that it is likely that some portion of the increased energy cost will be passed down the supply chain. “This could take the form of adjusted pricing to downstream partners and eventually may have an impact on consumer prices, depending on the sector and product,” he said. He noted that some manufacturers will try to minimise the increase in cost where possible to remain competitive, especially in global markets. Federation of Malaysian Manufacturing (FMM) president Tan Sri Soh Thian Lai said the new electricity tariffs will not have a uniform impact on the manufacturing sector and will vary according to electricity usage. “FMM understands that 70% of medium voltage customers, many of whom are industrial users, will have a reduction in electricity bill ranging from 4% up to 18% depending on the load factor. “The higher their load factor, the higher the reduction in their bills,” he said when contacted yesterday. However, Soh said the remaining 30% with a low load factor may see an increase of between 3% and 10% in the electricity bills. “Some customers in this category have installed solar […]
5月前
PETALING JAYA: Many consumers are taking steps to manage their electricity bills with the implementation of the new tariff structure by the government. For example, many homeowners are considering having solar photovoltaic (PV) systems installed on their roofs, while others are looking at the “Time of Use” scheme, which offers lower rates during off-peak hours, now defined as starting from 10pm to 2pm on weekdays, and the entire day on weekends. Under the new tariff announced by the Energy Commission, domestic consumers using less than 1,000kWh (kilowatt-hours) per month will also continue to enjoy subsidies, effective yesterday. In Johor Baru, sales operations executive Ereena Karen Lim Abdullah, 47, and her husband are thinking about rooftop PV. “My husband and I are thinking of installing solar panels, but we are unsure whether it is possible to do so at our apartment,” she said, adding that she would raise the matter with the building management soon. “I used to pay around RM100 for electricity monthly but it had crept up to RM150 even though it is just me and my husband living in our apartment without much changes to our routine.” Events planning manager Evelyn Lee, 34, said she was hoping to apply for the newly expanded Time of Use (ToU) tariff as soon as possible since it matches her lifestyle. “My husband and I are seldom at home during the day, so it’s perfect for us since we are typically home only by 10pm. “We also like to spend our weekends at home together, just relaxing with our dogs with the air conditioning on, so it makes sense,” said Lee, who lives in Puchong. In Seremban, Tong Sim Old Folks Home secretary Jessie Chan said they had already been cutting back usage before the new tariffs. “The 18 elderly and special needs folks at the centre have been told to cut down (on their use), resulting in our monthly bill going down slightly from the over RM400 previously,” she said. Ramesh Patel, who runs the Vivekananda Home in Rembau, has also told the children under his care to start conserving. “We went from switching on four lights throughout the night previously, to only one now to further reduce the monthly bill which totals about RM800.” Retiree N. Manimaran from Perak said he would start consolidating his chores. “We now do the laundry only once every two days, while clothes are ironed once per week. I’m also cutting down the hours the air conditioner is on from six to four,” said the 67-year-old. Father-of-four Wan Fahmi Ahmad said getting his household to change their habits would be difficult as they do not know how the new tariff structure would affect their bill. “We are used to using around 1,500kWh to 2,000kWh, and paying over RM1,000 every month, so convincing them will be hard, especially if our bill increases only by a small amount,” the 51-year old pilot said. Wan Fahmi, who lives in Putrajaya, added that he would consider the ToU scheme […]
5月前
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