The Star Online: Nation
The Star Online: Nation |
- 10,000 free return tickets
- Consumers advised to avoid spending near Chinese New Year
- 506 employers charged under labour laws in 2012
| Posted: 06 Jan 2013 03:38 PM PST PETALING JAYA: A total 10,000 free AirAsia return tickets will be offered under the carrier's 1Malaysia Integration Programme. An AirAsia spokesperson said the offer would apply to Malaysians flying to-and-from the peninsular and Sabah and Sarawak. The tickets are only offered to Malaysians and AirAsia is planning to give out more details to the public today. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had announced the programme on Saturday, saying the offer would last for a month. He, however, did not reveal when the offer period would start. According to the spokesperson, AirAsia serviced 375 flights from Sabah and Sarawak to the peninsular and vice-versa every week. These are divided into eight airports in Sabah and Sarawak (Kota Kinabalu, Bintulu, Kuching, Labuan, Miri, Sibu, Sandakan and Tawau) and three airports in the peninsula (Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baru and Penang). Kuala Lumpur's trips amounted for the lion's share of the total, including 84 flights to Kota Kinabalu and 70 flights to Kuching. AirAsia currently uses the Airbus A320 aircraft for these flights, which can seat around 180 people. The spokesperson added that AirAsia carried more than 2.5 million passengers, including foreigners, between the peninsular and Sabah and Sarawak last year. |
| Consumers advised to avoid spending near Chinese New Year Posted: 06 Jan 2013 03:36 PM PST PETALING JAYA: Smart consumers should shop early for Chinese New Year to stretch their ringgit to the maximum. Those celebrating the occasion should pre-order their groceries and book tables at restaurant early to avoid paying exorbitant festive prices. This will also ensure that they have a better selection at the best prices, say grocers and restaurants. Grocers have advised consumers to make bookings for popular festive ingredients such as tiger prawns, bawal putih, sea cucumber and CNY goodies like pineapple tarts and kueh kapit, as soon as possible before prices escalate in the coming weeks. Fresh food wholesaler Charlie Lim, 58, whose shop is in Kota Kemuning, Shah Alam, said his regular customers had already booked CNY delicacies like tiger prawns, imported scallops and sea cucumbers. "My tiger prawns are usually priced about RM70 per kilo, but I am expecting prices to go up by 10% starting next week. "I encourage people to start buying seafood now. "If properly frozen, most seafood can keep well for up to nine months without the taste being affected," he said. Lim Cheng Kok, 38, who operates a seafood stall at the Taman Megah morning market, warned that the retail price for tiger prawns and bawal putih, which is RM65 and RM90 per kilo respectively, may increase by up to 30% two weeks before CNY. He said that more than 20 regular customers have pre-ordered these items, which he keeps frozen for them to collect later. When met at the same market, pork seller Chok Tong Chai, 60, said many customers have pre-ordered pork belly and trotters. Meanwhile, Oriental Group of Restaurants director Justin C.K. Hor said that about 80% of tables in their restaurants have been taken up for CNY reunion dinners. "Some people book as early as three months in advance," he said, adding that a new yee sang dish that includes ikan bilis and soft-shelled crab was on the menu this year. |
| 506 employers charged under labour laws in 2012 Posted: 06 Jan 2013 03:32 PM PST PUTRAJAYA: A total 506 employers in the peninsular were charged with various offences under the labour laws last year. Peninsular Malaysia Manpower Department director-general Mohd Jeffery Joakim said 80% of them were brought to the courts for offences related to emoluments. "Among the offences were failure to pay salary arrears, compensation and gratuity that had been ordered by the Labour Court. "They were charged under Section 69 of the Employment Act 1955," he said here yesterday. Mohd Jeffery said that during the period, 103 charges were made under the Workmen's Compensation Act 1952 against employers who failed to insure their foreign workers and did not report accidents to the Manpower Office. He said five companies were charged under the Private Employment Agencies Act 1981 for operating without licence. He also said that following checks and complaints from workers, the department had issued 461 summonses to various employers with 67% of the summonses for failing to report the hiring of foreign workers within 14 days of employment. "Another 10% of the summonses were against bosses who did not pay salaries within the stipulated period," he said. Mohd Jeffery said that since 2010, RM1.47mil in compounds had been collected. |
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