Malaysia Grocers

By LEE YUK PENG Star Biz

KUALA LUMPUR: The Consumer Protection Act will cover purchases made via electronic transaction soon, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

He said he would exercise his power as minister to amend regulations in the act so that consumers making electronic transactions were protected.

“The regulations will be gazetted without going through the amendment of the Consumer Protection Act itself,” he told reporters at the Parliament Lobby Monday. Continue Reading…

KUCHING: The Geographical Indication (GI) label for Bario Rice, famous for its excellent taste and texture and highly appreciated in fine Malaysian cuisine, is expected to be ready by January next year, in time for harvesting in the Kelabit Highlands, Sarawak.

Sarawak Agriculture Department senior research officer Teo Gien Khieng said the certification meant the “Bario Rice” brand name, like “Champagne”, would be protected and could not be used on similar rice grown outside of the state.

“There is a lot of adulteration in Bario Rice, especially in the lowlands so much so that people do not know how to identify the authentic product, which fetches a much higher price of about RM10 per kg,” she told reporters after the certificate was presented to Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr George Chan at his office in Wisma Bapa Malaysia, Petra Jaya here on Monday. Continue Reading…

By FINTAN NG

PETALING JAYA: Consumer group Mamee-Double Decker (M) Bhd’s net profit jumped 85.9% to RM12.12mil for the third quarter ended Sept 30 compared to the previous corresponding period due to improved consumer spending as well as a favourable sales mix.

Revenue, however, was only marginally higher by 2.84% at RM113.86mil.

Turnover for the third quarter increased by 11% against the preceding quarter ended 30 June 2009. Continue Reading…

By EILEEN HEE Star Biz

MD: But performance ahead of internal forecast

PETALING JAYA: Guinness Anchor Bhd’s (GAB) pre-tax profit and revenue for its first quarter ended Sept 30 slumped on lower beer sales as stocking was deferred due to the timing of the Budget 2010 announcement.

The brewer posted 17.7% decline in revenue to RM300.9mil while pre-tax profit dropped 43.4% to RM35.8mil from a year ago.

“Given the later timing of the national budget announcement this year, we expected the first quarter to be lower than last year’s corresponding period,” managing director Charles Ireland said at a briefing on the company’s financial results yesterday. Continue Reading…

PETALING JAYA: Carlsberg Brewery Malaysia Bhd’s net profit fell 7.68% to RM21.78mil for the third quarter ended Sept 30 compared with the previous corresponding period on lower sales due to the change in the pattern of trade stocking-up of beer from the quarter under review to the fourth quarter.

Revenue came in 9.18% lower at RM242.09mil.

The company said in a filing with Bursa Malaysia that the later Budget announcement this year compared with last year resulted in a shift in the trade stocking-up for the third quarter to the fourth quarter and had a significant impact on domestic beer sales. Continue Reading…

BEIJING: China executed a dairy farmer and a milk salesman for their roles in the sale of contaminated baby formula – severe punishments that Beijing hopes will assuage public anger, reassure importers and put to rest one of the country’s worst food safety crises.

The two men executed Tuesday were the only people put to death in a scheme to boost profits by lacing milk powder with the industrial chemical melamine; 19 other people were convicted and received lesser sentences.

At least six children died after drinking the adulterated formula, and more than 300,000 were sickened. Continue Reading…

KUALA LUMPUR: The sugar intake by Malaysians has reached a “very alarming” stage and the country will continue to incur huge economic and social costs unless they change their “sweet-toothed” lifestyle, a prominent physiotherapist warned.

Dr B. S. Bains said some 14.5 per cent of the 26 million Malaysians are down with diabetes with the number growing at a seemingly uncontrollable rate.

On average, Malaysians consume around 120 grams of sugar a day. Continue Reading…

NEW YORK: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said a bill relating to the proposed introduction of the goods and services tax (GST) will be tabled for first reading at the end of the current Dewan Rakyat sitting.

The Prime Minister said the move was agreed to at the last Cabinet meeting.

“This will allow the public to give their comments, engage them, and if we find it necessary to fine tune it, we’ll do so,” he told Malaysian journalists covering his working visit to New York on Monday. Continue Reading…