August 2014 – Consumers Association Penang

Mortgagees Overinsuring for Fire Insurance of Mortgaged Properties

admin August 27, 2014 0 Comments

Banks are exploiting mortgagors by taking out fire insurance on the mortgaged properties to cover the full amount of the loan which in almost all cases will be about 90% of the market value of the properties. Market value is the combination of the cost of the land and of the building on it. Fire insurance does not cover land, but only the cost of re-building the building(s) on it. In a worst case...

Seize the banned Rawa Sorong Nets

admin August 27, 2014 0 Comments

The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) urges the Department of Fisheries and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) to seize rawa sorong nets in Kedah and Perlis in the interest of more than 2,000 fishermen in the two states whose livelihood have been affected by the use of this destructive fishing gear. Such stringent actions can be done not only at sea when a boat operates the...

Better Understanding of Beneficial Insects Vital for Sustainable Agriculture

admin August 26, 2014 0 Comments

by N. Selvam* Pesticide use is rampant in Malaysian farms to the extent that almost all beneficial insects are wiped off from the field. A visit to several farms and further discussion with Malaysian farmers revealed the sordid condition of Malaysian farms. Farmers here resort to pesticide to get rid of pest problems. Due to farmers’ ignorance on the significance of beneficial insects,...

Poisoning the World with Pesticides: Dawn of the Second “Silent Spring”

admin August 26, 2014 0 Comments

A survey by the Consumers’ Association of Penang’s reveals that pesticides are still widely used in farms, threatening our natural ecosystems and farm environment. As consumers, we should not only be concerned of pesticide residues on the food we eat, but also pesticides’ widespread contamination and poisoning of the world. Pesticides use is expanding in most regions of the...

Breach of safety SOP at MRT project site causing fatal accident of 3 workers

admin August 21, 2014 0 Comments

The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) is saddened by the fatal worksite accident that killed 3 Bangladeshi workers at the project site of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) as a result of a breach of safe work procedure as reported in the Star dated 20th August 2014 “Breach in work procedures”. CAP has time and again called for an immediate intervention by the Department of Safety and Health...

Nuclear energy is not a viable option

admin August 20, 2014 0 Comments

by Ronald McCoy A speech last week by Dato’ Mah Siew Keong, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, at an event organised by the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI) was reported in Malaysiakini. The minister urged critics of nuclear energy to keep an “open mind”, as the government had decided to table the Atomic Energy Regulatory Bill in parliament later this year....

TPPA: Shocking US certification process that violates country’s sovereignty

admin August 14, 2014 0 Comments

The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) is deeply concerned by the shocking process by which the United States of America (USA) squeezes more concessions from other countries it negotiates free trade agreements (FTAs) with, even after the treaty’s text is signed. This was outlined in new research released yesterday at This process of one-sided extraction of concessions is called...

Malaysian government hoodwinking the public on nuclear energy

admin August 12, 2014 0 Comments

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) and Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) read with utmost concern the announcement by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Dato’ Mah Siew Kiong on the government’s insistence to pursue nuclear power generation as a future energy source for the country. Last week, Dato’ Mah revealed at a forum organized by the Asian Strategy and Leadership...

Stop the pollution in Kg Tengku Laxamana

admin August 12, 2014 0 Comments

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) urges the Kedah state government to take stringent action against a rice miller who has been disposing and burning paddy husk in Kampung Tengku Langkasama near Kuala Kedah. The burning of paddy husk has resulted in serious air pollution here. In addition to the dust and ash flying in the air surrounding the nearby village and housing estate, the problem also causes...

Urgent Need to Revamp the EIA Process in Sarawak

admin August 8, 2014 0 Comments

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) calls on the government to urgently review and revamp the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process in Sarawak due to its inadequacies, specifically on its lack of mandatory public participation. Unlike its Federal counterpart, the Sarawak EIA law excludes mandatory public participation in the process, relegating the matter to the discretion of individual project...

Consumers Association Penang

Month: August 2014