Lemon Law

It's high time there are better laws to protect consumers. On one hand, Malaysia aspires to be a developed nation but on the other hand, not enough emphasis is placed on quality of services and products. With better consumer laws, businesses and manufacturers would be compelled to think about the level of quality of their services and products.

I've noticed that the current generation of consumers are more demanding. They have more choices and they have more purchasing power. In this time and age, it is absolutely unacceptable for consumers being given the shorter end of the stick. Most times, they have to go against established brands and multi-national companies just to protect their rights.

The sectors that should be better regulated in terms of consumer rights is Property & Automobile, both which happens to constitute the largest commitment by consumers. The existing laws for both sectors are far from adequate. In fact, it is the businesses which are better protected than consumers!

Thanks to the internet & various forums as well as social media, big businesses can no longer hide or ignore complaints & issues as easily.

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Protecting our interests Consumer group calls on government to implement ‘Lemon Law’

THE National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) has urged the Government to make laws to help consumers seek prompt settlement in disputes over defective products.

“It is time the Government introduces what is known as a ‘lemon law’ for motor vehicles and other product purchases, to protect consumers,” said NCCC director Ratna Devi Nadarajan.

Ratna said the Consumer Association of Singapore described it as consumer laws providing a statutory right of action against a trader or manufacturer involving the sale of defective goods, in situations where there has been a failure to comply with the warranty in a purchase contract.

Such laws obligate sellers to repair, replace, refund or reduce the prices of defective goods.

Singapore introduced the lemon law on Sept 1, 2012, which was added to the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act and with related amendments to the Hire Purchase Act and Road Traffic Act.

This makes it easier for consumers to have their day in court without being given the runaround.

“Malaysians are often left with a sour taste (hence the reference to lemons) after paying for a product or service that is defective or not up to standard, especially more so now against the backdrop of rising costs of living.

“For example in renovation works, the grouse is usually poor workmanship or a hold-up in completion,” said Ratna.

“Most people may not understand the nature of lemon laws, but basically the laws will help consumers become better informed, enabling them to make trade-offs based on quality and price.

“This can signal to the market that product standards are of importance.

Read more here: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Community/2014/12/18/Protecting-our-interests-Consumer-group-calls-on-government-to-implement-Lemon-Law/

Quit Smoking!

PROGRESS:

Week 14 (21 March 2015)

 I've just passed the 3rd month without smoking. My symptoms seem to be easing. I developed a skin rash on the face earlier which cleared up quite a bit in the third month. Sometimes, I still feel shortness of breath while at rest. The strongest trigger for cravings for me is stress.

Symptoms during the first 2 months:

• Mild depression
• Chest feels congested
• Cravings
• Rashes on the face

Week 2 (18 Dec 2014)

• Nasal congestion/stuffy nose
• Throat a bit sore
• Mild phlegm-induced coughing
• Not in the greatest mood
• Concentration improved a little
• Heart rate remained lower than before quit
• Overall withdrawal symptoms noticeably reduced

To stop tobacco addiction, governments should make tobacco a controlled substance, only available with a prescription to existing addicted smokers. This way, youngsters & non-smokers will not have access to tobacco products and nicotine addiction will be eliminated in one generation of current smokers.

Week 1 (28 Nov 2014 to 4 Dec 2014)

• Feeling tired, sleepy
• Extremely cranky
• Brain fog, trouble concentrating
• Easily irritated & angry
• Slept more than usual
• Hungry throughout the day
• Sense of taste less sensitive
• Noticed heart-rate dropped 10bps compared to before quit
• Eyesight seemed to be weaker

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Being addicted to any substance is never a good thing. Be it drugs, alcohol, nicotine, sugar, caffeine, etc.

Among all the substance addictions, drugs are the most dangerous. Second is alcohol. Third is nicotine.

It is the smokers who are the most demonised, bullied and discriminated by society, governments, and groups of pricks. It because of propaganda. When was the last anti-drug campaign you remember? Compared to the 80s and 90s, there are hardly any meaningful campaigns against grugs since then. And drugs abuse are flourishing worldwide.

Focus had been shifted to cigarettes and smokers instead. And these group of pricks were obviously delightfully championing it.

Smokers are easy targets because they are ordinary people.

For example, what are the odds that these self-righteous pricks walking up to a drug-addict to tell him off for doing drugs? On the other hand, these same pricks will bravely tell-off a smoker or show their disdain openly. Discrimination. Bullying. Classic.

Anyway, wouldn't it be logical if the governments were to use all those taxes from cigarettes collected to help the smokers quit, or render medical care for them? The taxes are collected from smokers anyways. Trust me when I say, smokers want to quit!

But you see, governments need the taxes! That's why they legalise tobacco. If it were for the good of the people, tobacco should be banned, like drugs.

So, I suggest those anti-smoking pricks to focus their hostility and anger at the government instead. I challenge you pricks to pressure the government to ban & make tobacco products ILLEGAL! That is the only way to stop people from smoking! Smokers will be grateful to you!

Everyone are hypocrites! If alcohol is bad, then ban it! Same with cigarettes, gambling, etc.

Here's something for smokers thinking of quitting: http://www.achoice2live.com/

To those pricks who think quitting nicotine is easy, "FCUK OFF & DIE!"

oh, by the way, I'm 7 days nicotine-free. It's not that bad really....

It's all the Chinese's fault!

When all else fails, just blame the Chinese.

That's the essence of Malaysian politics. I'm glad that these groups are vocal with their demands. At least now, the Chinese can't really be blamed for voting the way they did, nor being questioned with "Apa lagi China Mau?"...

Lay out all the cards on the table. Let everyone see and make their choices.

Don't say one thing but do another! I hope the rules are clearly spelled out once and for all... hopefully in my lifetime.

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Can Umno steer BN in the right direction?

by Khoo Kay Peng

Umno is making a big mistake if it caves in to the demands of Perkasa, a coalition of Malay rights groups.

In the run up to the party’s recent annual general assembly, Perkasa leaders were busy drawing up memorandums calling for the abolition of vernacular schools (especially Chinese vernacular schools), allowing only Bumiputeras to be exempted from repaying their National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) loan schemes and others.

Once again, the group has chosen to target the Chinese community to bolster its credentials as an ethnic champion. What’s worse is that some Umno leaders are echoing some of the same demands leading up to their party’s annual general assembly last week.

Instead of supporting the president’s efforts to promote liberalisation, Wanita Umno has submitted a memorandum calling for the Sedition Act not to be repealed. Resolutions have been submitted to discuss a broad range of issues including the status of vernacular schools and suggestions to strip off the citizenship of non-Malays who are not fluent in the Malay language.

The party leadership should take notice that international observers are going to follow the proceedings very closely. Umno is the most dominant ruling party in the country and the resolutions passed in the party’s annual general assembly are going to have a major impact on how the country is going to be run.

Of course, Umno delegates have the right to freedom of expression.

However, the party must be reminded of its obligations as a ruling party and the consequences of its speech especially those that are racially charged and sensitive. Instead of blaming the Chinese for the BN coalition electoral setback, the party should conduct a self-evaluation on what the party has done wrong in order to improve its electoral performance.

Any ruling parties that refused to admit their weaknesses after decades of being in power do not deserve to continue to be in power. Making the Chinese community as its main political punching bag is not going to prove that the community is the main cause of the Malays’ dilemmas and grievances.

If the attacks persist, it is going to show that Umno, as the most dominant Malay-based ruling party over the last five decades, has failed to deliver as the leader of the BN-led federal government. It controls the administration and its resources. It has been able to implement any affirmative policies that benefited the Malays without any resistance from its partners in BN.

Who is to be blamed if the Malays failed to improve their socio-economic standards and conditions? Should the Chinese undergraduates be penalised just because not enough Malay graduates qualified for exemption from repaying their PTPTN loan?    

Some Umno leaders have said that the Chinese voters are easily duped to support the opposition. A few even suggested that these voters are part of a conspiracy to bring down Umno. The only fault the Chinese voters have committed is to exercise their voting right to elect a democratic government.

All political parties that choose to participate in the electoral process must respect the decision of the voters.

Some segments of Umno, especially those who insisted on blaming other races and religions for their leadership failure, are the biggest threats to the BN coalition’s political future. It would be foolhardy for any ethnic minority parties to think that they can displace the majority Malay leadership.

Most of the non-Malay voters did not vote for the BN because they had demanded better responses from the ruling BN regime for their grievances and problems. 

In this regard, MCA and other Chinese-based parties must work together with the moderate and progressive leaders in Umno to restore the confidence of Chinese voters in BN. These parties do not have to respond in similar fashion by bashing up the instigators.

MCA, Gerakan, SUPP and LDP can reach out to the Malay community by assuring them that the Chinese community encourages them to succeed and to achieve greater heights. Tertiary institutions linked to the parties could provide full scholarships and bursaries to Malay students who obtained good academic results. Chinese-based companies could offer top Malay students to work for them as management trainees.

It is important to debunk the notion that the Chinese community is the main cause of the Malay community’s weaknesses and woes. We must make an impression that meritocracy is the only yardstick for success. Individuals regardless of race or creed are encouraged to achieve greater success and contribute positively to national development.  

BN is only viable if Umno can help to steer it towards the right direction. The right path is to stay progressive and inclusive. Umno must ensure that it does not push itself and the BN further away from the moderate middle ground. 

Khoo Kay Peng is a political analyst and a management consultant. He believes that this nation can only progress with the collective will of its people. - See more at: http://www.theantdaily.com/Main/Can-Umno-steer-BN-in-the-right-direction#sthash.4XIohkLB.dpuf

Khoo Kay Peng

We were once great

You know, as a nation, we were once truly great. Really. Malaysia excelled in sports, especially football and badminton. Many MNCs invested here. The economy was booming. Then we lost the plot.

Malaysia Airlines, I think, best epitomizes the state of affairs in the country.

During it's heyday, it was ranked among the BEST IN THE WORLD... yes, in the world!!! Travellers often gave high marks for their service and menu. Other airlines send their cabin crew to be trained in MAS Academy. Even their catering service was one of the best. MAS was once held in high regards by all.

Today, one plane was "stolen" aka "lost" in mid-flight. One more shot down over Ukraine. And MAS itself is insolvent. Ironically, there's no accountability. Zero. It is nobody's fault that the airline was run to the ground. Nobody is responsible nor accountable. That, in a way, reflects the prevalent attitude of those in government as well as society in general.

Malaysian society has changed.

In the old days, you can see and even feel the energy within society, in the streets, and among the people. People had hopes. People had dreams. People were happy and proud. People had a bit more integrity. They had a bit more pride and ethics in their work.

Now, there's no accountability. There's no enforcement. There are no ethics.

We are broken.

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Could MAS see the return of its glory days?

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flies thousands of passengers daily with many opting for the airline to enjoy the typical “Malaysian hospitality.”

The airline has won many accolades, especially for its in-flight services, thus it is not surprising that it was the number one choice for local and foreign travelers for years.

http://www.nst.com.my/node/46667