Featured member highlight
This month’s Member in the spotlight features the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (
FOMCA). FOMCA is a national umbrella body founded in 1973, which serves as the coordinating, consultative and advisory agency of 13 consumer associations in Malaysia and works at the national and international levels. FOMCA goes beyond the traditional role of strengthening consumer protection in the marketplace through advocacy, lobbying, networking, representation, campaigning and education.
FOMCA represents the consumer interest in policy making and policy implementation in various ministries and agencies such as the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, etc. It also advocates a social shift of values from value for money to ‘value for people’ and seeks to empower and educate responsible consumers in the context of a developing country with a growing consumerist society.
Medicines
Concerned about self-medication and consumer non-compliance with prescription advice and the adverse effects of drugs, FOMCA launched the 'Know-Your-Medicines' campaign in the 1980s. It launched the Patient's Charter in 1993 as an educational tool recognising the rights and responsibilities of consumers in the quality use of medicines. One of the key objectives in FOMCA's 2006-2008 project on the Rational Use of Medicines was to promote the quality use of medicines.
Consume less
Last year FOMCA launched a four-year awareness and education campaign called ‘3K’ on the theme 'Change Begins With Me' with the aim to help consumers change their lifestyle and produce more responsible and resilient consumers. Examples include changing to cheaper brands, eating in more than out, reducing luxuries, choosing cheaper hotels, recycling and using more public transportation. FOMCA declared July 16 a 'Buy Nothing Day' as a day for consumers to review and reflect their personal values, especially in relation to consumerism.
Junk Food Generation
As part of the aim to change consumers’ eating habits for more healthy options FOMCA published
Cereal Deceptions, a report on the marketing of breakfast cereals to children in Malaysia. FOMCA has been very prominent in CI’s Junk Food Generation campaign to stop the marketing of unhealthy food to children up to 16 years old.
Energy Efficiency
In May this year, Fomca launched a consumer awareness campaign on energy efficiency through a
switch website with an online tool that can calculate the costs versus energy efficiency of electrical items and compare claims made by manufacturers. Furthermore, FOMCA called on the Government to make energy efficiency labelling mandatory and introduce a tax incentive for energy-efficient products.
Read the feature
Labels: FOMCA, Marimuthu, NCCC
# posted by share n care @ 2:02 PM
2008-12-18 09:44
（吉隆坡）2007年全國消費人投訴中心（NCCC）報告指出，屋業發展商仍是最多消費者投訴的領域。
此中心去年共接獲2076宗有關屋業發展商的投訴，比2006年的1578宗增長29.6%，而投訴的內容包括房子內部手工品質低劣、遲交屋、發展計劃廢置及訂金問題。
此中心首席執行員莫哈末沙尼週三（12月17日）出席2007年全國消費人投訴中心報告推介禮後，發表談話。
莫哈末沙尼表示，政府或應實行先建後售的概念，購屋者只需先繳付10%屋價，因為現有的房屋發展制度導致有心人濫權，造成遲交屋、發展計劃廢置等問題。
直銷領域投訴第二多
接獲第二多投訴的是直銷領域，包括刮刮樂活動，因此，此中心建議當局把刮刮樂列為非法活動，並禁止以直銷方式售賣超過500令吉價值的商品。
私立高等教育中心及大專學院是第3多消費者投訴的領域；許多學生投訴院方在他們不知情的情況下向高等教育基金借貸，導致學生被高教基金追討欠款的問題。
全國消費人投訴中心將被投訴的商品及服務依性質分為23個領域，其他被消費者投訴的領域包括管理公司、電訊業、大減價、公共交通、金融機構、霸級市場、女傭中心、健身中心、食品等。
培養“視投訴為禮物”文化
政府首席秘書丹斯里莫哈末西迪表示，政府部門及相關機構應該培養“視投訴為禮物”的文化，因為所有的投訴都是協助當局改善與進步的機會。
他指出，美國有一些酒店會給做出投訴的顧客獎賞，因為他們認為，酒店單靠本身的員工是無法瞭解及察覺每一間客房是否有問題，但若顧客發現問題並投訴告知，等於是幫忙酒店進行監督工作。
“但在大馬，很多人被投訴就會生氣，這是不對的；我們確實沒有足夠的人手，有公眾幫我們指出問題，這就是一份禮物。”
平均每天接70宗投訴
大馬消費人聯合會主席拿督馬里慕都表示，2007年全國消費人投訴中心共接獲2萬4873宗投訴，即平均每天接獲70宗投訴，比2006年總數1萬8345宗投訴多，或增長36%。
他表示，全國消費人投訴中心把所有投訴做成報告發表，目的不是要指責任何人，而是希望借此讓各領域改善及提昇商品及服務素質。
星洲日報‧2008.12.18Labels: FOMCA, KSN, Marimuthu, NCCC, Sha'ani
