Category: Development EN

A call from Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) for solidarity, reform and responsible leadership The war involving Iran may be taking place far from our shores, but its consequences are already being felt by ordinary Malaysians. What begins as a geopolitical conflict in the Middle East can quickly arrive in our homes through higher fuel prices, rising food costs, more expensive medicines,...

Two years ago, Dutch schools banned smartphones to reduce distractions, enhance student concentration, and encourage better academic performance. Since then, mobile phones, smartwatches and tablets have been exiled from classrooms, corridors and canteens in schools across the Netherlands. Now the Dutch government wants to go further, pushing to restrict social media for under‑16s and calling...

A New Mexico jury has determined that Meta knowingly harmed children's mental health and concealed what it knew about child sexual exploitation on its social media platforms, a verdict that signals a changing tide against tech companies and the government's willingness to crack down. The landmark decision comes after a nearly seven-week trial, and as jurors in a federal court in California have...

In view of the current geopolitical situation in the Gulf region, the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) is urging the government and the public to take a pragmatic approach as it is difficult to determine how long the conflict is going to last and the consequences of it. Malaysia’s broad fuel subsidies are expensive and inefficient as they potentially benefit higher-income groups and...

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) urges Malaysians to be more financially prudent in the current climate in order to withstand geopolitical uncertainties in the Middle East, particularly in light of the ongoing conflict in Iran that began on 28 February. Although the government has maintained the subsidised price of RON95 petrol at RM1.99 per litre since the introduction of the BUDI...

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) and the Malaysian Food Sovereignty Forum (FKMM) have submitted an international petition to the Malaysian Prime Minister, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim. This petition signed by 97 international, regional, and national based organisations from across the globe urge the Malaysian government to carefully reconsider the intention to join the UPOV 1991 Convention. Through the...

A law regulating artificial intelligence has been introduced in Vietnam, making it the first country in South-East Asia with a comprehensive framework on the booming technology. Passed by the National Assembly in December, the law focusses on the risks posed by generative AI, requiring human oversight and control along the lines of the European Union's landmark AI Act. Many nations are moving to...

Sweden is investing 104 million euros to bring back printed textbooks, highlighting growing concerns over digital learning’s toll on student focus and skills. Discover how this bold move could reshape education everywhere. In a world where tech seems to run the show, Sweden’s education system is hitting the brakes on its all-digital approach. They’re bringing printed textbooks back into...

Each time someone asks ChatGPT a question, the exchange feels nearly invisible: just text appearing on a screen. But behind that response lies a massive physical infrastructure drawing electricity, consuming water, and producing carbon emissions at an unprecedented scale. As generative artificial intelligence becomes embedded in everyday life, the environmental footprint of the system powering...

The world's largest social media companies have been accused of creating "addiction machines" as a landmark trial began in California examining the mental health effects of Instagram and YouTube. "This case is about two of the richest corporations in history who have engineered addiction in children's brains," said Mark Lanier, lawyer for a plaintiff suffered from mental health issues as a...