Category: Development EN

The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) lauds some of the measures outlined in the National Budget 2026 but is at the same time disappointed that the government is not taking more effective measures to protect the nation’s health and the environment. CAP welcomes the introduction of the Lemon Law through the amendments to the Consumer Protection Act. CAP has been actively campaigning for a...

The draft Urban Renewal Act, promoted by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT), has sparked a crucial debate about the future of Malaysia’s cities. While the intention to rejuvenate aging urban areas is commendable, the bill’s approach is a flawed fix. It focuses on the symptom – old, poorly managed buildings - while ignoring the disease: a broken system of urban planning and...

Forum Kedaulatan Makanan Malaysia (FKMM) urgently raises the alarm that, despite widespread objections from farmers and civil society organisations, the Ministry of Agriculture continues to push for Malaysia to accede to the 1991 Act of the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV 1991). UPOV 1991 is a draconian international agreement that threatens to hand...

Think your smartphone is just plastic and glass? Think again. Modern smartphones are among the most resource-intensive consumer products, incorporating over 30 elements from the periodic table. Common materials like aluminum, copper, and iron support structural and electrical functions, while rare elements such as lithium, cobalt, tantalum, and neodymium power batteries, capacitors, and audio...

We refer to the report Govt wins Duta land dispute, retains title but ordered to compensate The Duta land dispute between the Government and Semantan Estate (1952) Sdn Bhd has its roots in pre-Merdeka Malaya, around 69 years ago. In 1956, the government acquired around 250 acres of land owned by Semantan for public purposes under the Land Acquisition Enactment. An enquiry was held to...

HOW ART UNITED & TRANSFORMED A NEIGHBOURHOOD Graffiti artists are often viewed as hooligans and rabble-rousers who vandalise property and cause trouble for society. But perhaps their expressive spark can be put to good use? That’s what the Mexican government did some years ago – with surprising results. A group of young graffiti artists were asked to paint a Mexican hillside village of...

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) strongly condemns the cowardly attack on the former Economy Minister's 10 year-old son at a mall in Putrajaya, followed by further threats to his family. Such behaviour is vile, disgraceful and an affront to basic decency, revealing the perpetrators’ inability or refusal to face the person concerned through lawful means such as the courts or the...

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) urges Malaysians not to be drawn into unnecessary outrage over the recent incident of the Malaysian flag being accidentally displayed upside down. The person responsible has acknowledged the mistake and issued an apology. That should be sufficient. It is deeply troubling when such matters are seized upon and politicised, turning an honest error into an...

The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) welcomes some segments of the 13th Malaysia Plan, such as those addressing key issues such as stagnated wages, affordable housing, transportation, healthcare and food sustainability. While the initiative is commendable for aiming to improve the living standards of those in the B40 and M40 income groups, the government must ensure close monitoring of...

The 2025 Auditor General’s Report (Series 2) has unearthed a host of serious irregularities and governance failures, thereby creating a cascade of new concerns after scrutinising five audits across seven ministries. These involved programmes and projects worth approximately RM48.873 billion. According to reports, between 2012 and January 2025, a total of 12,393 audits were conducted. Of these,...