START THEM YOUNG: Wan Ahmad (second left) presenting the grant to principal Kho Boo Lim, while Ng (left) and Covas secretary-general Simon Sim Soon Beng (right) look on.
KUCHING: Every school that has plans to set up a Consumer Club will receive a grant of RM500 from the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (MDTCC), revealed its state director Wan Ahmad Wan Uzir Sulaiman .
He said in addition to the initial grant, additional funds will also be channelled to any consumerism-related activities that the club will organise.
“It is very important to reach out to consumers when they are young.
“There are still many cases of commercial cheating out there, which is why there is a need to inculcate smart consumerism at the school level.
“By knowing their rights and by knowing what the Consumer Tribunal can do for them, consumers will be better protected from unscrupulous businesses that are out to cheat them.
“The consumerism education at schools usually concentrates on three areas, which are prudent spending, healthy diet and the environment,” he said at the closing ceremony of a consumerism seminar at Chung Hua Middle School No. 3 here yesterday.
The seminar was co-organised by the school with the Consumer Voice Association of Sarawak (Covas).
Two speakers from the ministry presented talks on consumer rights and the roles of the Consumer Tribunal to about 70 students.
According to Covas vice president Philip Ng Swee Tong, the seminar was one of many programmes to educate consumers at the community level.
“The association acts as a bridge between the consumers and relevant authorities.
“We help complainants by studying their cases for relevance and validity before we help them to forward their cases to the relevant department for solution.
“We are targeting students with consumerism seminars because they have no knowledge unless they experience consumer-related issues.
“Before they face any problem, we hope they will be prepared for it by knowing how to handle the problem and knowing who to look for,” he said.
After the seminar, MDTCC presented the RM500 grant to Chung Hua Middle School No. 3 for the formation of their Consumer Club which will help to promote consumerism in the school.