Malaysia needs to have an action plan to ensure a shift in policy and change in consumer behaviour on climate change.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) secretary-general Datuk Paul Selvaraj said while much has been said about climate change locally, awareness appears to be lacking.
“We need to assert pressure to bring about legislative changes. This includes how we plan to tackle plastic pollution,” Selvaraj said.
In conjunction with World Consumer Rights Day today with the theme ‘Tackling Plastic Pollution’, Selvaraj said it was time Malaysia got serious about plastic pollution.
According to a 2019 study commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), Malaysia has the highest annual per capita plastic use at 16.78 kg per person.
“What has happened to the campaign on single-use plastic bags? Policy measures alone are insufficient if not much is being done to change consumer behaviour,” he said.
“Pressure must be asserted on the system and this is what advocacy is about. With Covid-19 there is continuous education and the same level of advocacy should be carried out for issues related to climate change.”
Separately, Selvaraj said Fomca, which was formed in 1973, receives up to 40,000 consumer-related complaints a year through its National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC).
“We have always taken the lead to push on advocacy and consumer education. We have also been at the forefront pushing for legislation including the Consumer Protection Act and Competition Act.
“Besides setting up NCCC, we have also invested heavily in programmes in schools, community and young workers to carry out a host of programmes including financial advocacy,” he said.
The challenges ahead are to ensure there is consumer empowerment in the digital economy era.
“There are a lot of online scams and with the existence of artificial intelligence and financial technology, we need to have policies to enhance consumer protection and empower our next generation,” said Selvaraj.
He said ranting on social media platforms or chat groups is not going to solve online scams.
“It may create awareness but it will not enable one to seek redress. There is a Tribunal for Consumer Claims and people must fall back on legislation to seek redress,” he added.
Earlier today, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister, Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the Consumer Empowerment Index in the country stood at 63.1 per cent. This shows consumers in Malaysia have yet to truly appreciate and practice their rights.
Speaking at the World Consumer Rights Day and 2021 National Consumer Day celebrations, the minister said his ministry would continue to design advocacy programmes to tackle issues related to consumerism.
Nanta added 32,550 cases were filed at the Tribunal for Consumer Claims from 2015 to February this year, involving claims of RM176.03 million.
Here’s the round-up of The News Normal today.
SINOVAC VACCINE ROLL-OUT ON THURSDAY
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin will be the first Malaysian to receive the Sinovac Covid-19 vaccine.
Khairy, who is also the coordinating minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, said the roll-out of Sinovac will begin at the Rembau Hospital on Thursday.
A total of 100,000 doses of China’s Sinovac vaccine will arrive today and another batch of 100,000 doses will arrive on March 22.
Khairy said to date, five million people have registered to be vaccinated via MySejahtera while another 44,399 registered online and through call centres.
However, 1.4 million people who have registered for the vaccine via MySejahtera have yet to complete their registration including furnishing their latest addresses.
GOVERNMENT FILES APPEAL ON ALLAH RULING
A notice of appeal was filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court registry today by the government against a High Court ruling last week which allowed non-Muslims to use the word Allah as well as Baitullah, Kaabah and solat.
Sarawakian Jill Ireland had last Wednesday succeeded in her judicial review application at the Kuala Lumpur High Court to challenge the Home Ministry’s directive to prohibit the use of the four words by non-Muslims.
Court of Appeal judge Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin, who presided as High Court judge said the directive by the Home Ministry not to allow the use of the four prohibited words, was filled with illegality and irrationality.
Nor Bee allowed Ireland’s declaration and ruled that the use of the words would not disrupt public order.
LANDSCAPE DEPARTMENT COMES TO MINISTER’S DEFENCE
The National Landscape Department has defended the actions of Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin for flagging off a cycling event at the Bukit Kiara Federal Park on Sunday claiming it was not a “fun ride”.
In a statement, the department said participants of the ride comprised its staff and those from the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation.
The department said the event organised under the Malaysia Prihatin Norma Baharu Berekreasi programme, was in line with standard operating procedures set by the National Security Council which allowed for cycling and jogging activities to be held during Conditional Movement Control Order.
PERIKATAN NASIONAL’S YEAR OF TENUOUS EXISTENCE
It has been an eventful year replete with theatrics, intrigues, controversies, horse-trading, party-hopping, court rulings and convictions that reveal the integrity, or the lack of it, of our elected representatives, writes Prof Mohamed Ghouse Nasuruddin.
