Darshan Singh Dhillon

The Malaysia Consumers Movement (MCM) wonders how many of us would have actually realised that yesterday was World Water Day! To many of us, water is just a liquid to quench thirst, cook, clean. This is probably true but we fail to realise that water is essentially an important source to sustain our livelihood, a fundamental commodity that drives growth.

Unsustainable consumption, a phenomenon which was rampant in the developed world has now definitely caught up with the developing, leaving great implications on our future well-being. Globalisation and trade liberalisation agenda of nations is a driving factor in making products and services which were once out of reach in developing countries much more available now. Items that at one point in time were considered luxuries has now become necessities.

Congratulations to the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry for mulling the implementation of the single unit pricing policy in Malaysia. It is just fair that when prices are advertised or promoted, products and services must clearly display a single price which is the minimum total cost that is able to be calculated.

Consumerism for the masses is the purchasing of goods or services to fulfil needs and wants. Typically, we as consumers have always enjoyed an upper hand, for which various protection mechanisms have been put in place, leaving ourselves with the element of acting responsibly and sustainably.

Of late, dengue has become a significant public health problem in Malaysia.

The Malaysian Consumers Movement (MCM) welcomes the recent raids by the Health Ministry on vape stores nationwide confiscating vape liquids and e-cigarettes containing nicotine, justifying the action under the same laws as tobacco products, including the implementation of excise tax.

As Malaysians, we should all be proud that our beloved country has recorded positive economic growth averaging 6.5 percent since independence in 1957, which is one of the best in Asia. Malaysia’s economy in 2014-2015 was one of the most competitive in Asia, ranking 6th in Asia and 20th in the world.

The volatile economic landscape in Malaysia raises concerns whether the status of a high-income nation is attainable amid the current political landscape.

Malaysia has always been looked upon as a model of socio-economic success stories where diverse communities has continued to live in harmony, toiling together to develop as a successful nation, upholding the very essence of Malaysia, Truly Asia. Together, we have evolved into South-East Asia’s third largest economy continuing to achieve a robust gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

It is the third month running since the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was enforced, resulting in a shift in Malaysia’s traditional tax system. While its implementation was largely smooth, the new tax regime has undeniably impacted both segments of community be it households or businesses, especially in coming to terms with the mechanics of GST which is predominantly dependent on individual consumption patterns.

COMMENT Heavy speculation on this but little engagement from government.

The goods and services tax (GST) will come into play in less than five (5) months and as mentioned previously, strong enforcement is the key to its successful implementation. The Perak Consumer Movement (PCM) is optimistic that a new tax regime will pave the way for a more sustainable economic growth, albeit in the longer term.