Malaysia Grocers

TESCO Malaysia and Colgate-Palmolive Marketing have launched a nationwide campaign on Dec 10 to raise funds to help subsidise mammogram tests for early detection of breast cancer among poor women.

The campaign, called “Share a Smile”, aims to raise RM25,000 for three charity partners which are National Cancer Council (Makna), National Cancer Society of Malaysia and Breast Cancer Welfare Association (BCWA).

The funds are generated from the sales of Softlan three litre bottles at any Tesco Store between Dec 10 and 23. Continue Reading…

Malaysia is to introduce a new goods and services tax in mid-2011 to broaden its revenue base and help reduce a budget deficit currently running at its biggest in over 20 years, the finance ministry said on Wednesday.

The new tax, charged at a rate of 4 per cent, is expected by the government to raise RM1 billion a year more than an existing sales tax that is projected to raise RM7.8 billion ringgit (US$2.31 billion) in 2010.

Total federal government revenues are expected to be RM148 billion in 2010, government data shows. “The tax will reduce the fiscal deficit and will not burden the people and businesses,” Second Finance Minister Husni Ahmad Hanadzlah told reporters. Continue Reading…

MUADZAM SHAH: It was a heart-wrenching sight for workers of a dairy farm here yesterday as thousands of litres of milk were sent gushing to the ground.

First Dairy Farm (M) Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Mohd Alwi Abdullah could only shake his head in disbelief.

Crying over spilt milk at the largest dairy producer in the peninsula is becoming routine after several manufacturers of dairy-based products rejected the supply.

The farm has disposed of some 90,000 litres of milk, worth more than RM250,000, since early this month. Continue Reading…

WASHINGTON (Dec 15, 2009): People who drink the most coffee and tea, even decaffeinated versions, can dramatically lower their risk of diabetes, researchers reported on Monday.

Their study does not answer why this might be but strengthens the findings of earlier studies showing the beverages may prevent type-2 diabetes.

“Every additional cup of coffee consumed in a day was associated with a 7% reduction in the excess risk of diabetes,” Rachel Huxley of The University of Sydney in Australia and an international team of colleagues wrote in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Continue Reading…

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 (Bernama) — Malaysian Rating Corporation Bhd (MARC) has affirmed Tesco Stores (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd’s RM3.5 billion conventional and Islamic commercial papers/medium term notes programme at AAA(cg)/MARC-1(cg) and AAAID(cg)/MARC-1ID(cg) respectively.

It said the ratings reflect the credit strength of the corporate guarantee provided by its parent company, UK-based Tesco Plc.

It is also underpinned by the group’s strong global market position in grocery retailing and steady profit margins, despite weak economic conditions in several of its markets. Continue Reading…

Firemen outside the complex after rescuing blast victims

It was supposed to be a grand opening on Thursday for the largest AEON Jusco store in the country but it turned to tragedy Monday when a gas leak caused an explosion, causing the death of a supervisor and injuring 16 people,

Everything was in full swing with workers and tenants busy making final preparations for the opening when disaster struck just before 1pm at the complex in Jalan Lagenda, Bachang, Malacca. Continue Reading…

Commodities Talk – By Hanim Adna

PALM oil future exports will be at risk if one were to fully grasp the damaging impact from Unilever’s action to suspend its palm oil purchases from Indonesian producer Sinar Mas group following serious allegations of violations of environmental practices by non-governmental organisation (NGO) Greenpeace.

Failure by Sinar Mas to rebut Greenpeace’s allegations could start a precedent whereby other overseas buyers would boycott palm oil purchases and label palm oil as “unsustainable.”

This will directly hamper efforts by the members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) to produce certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO). Continue Reading…