Product safety

There are many people start to concern about food and health in their life. Today, people realize that eat well and live well is very important in order to enjoy a healthy life. Healthy life is able to lead us to a stronger body and live happily. Therefore, people will start to prefer healthy food for their family and government also encourage that people have to make appointment for body check once in a year. Therefore, people can comprehend their state of health and start to eat healthy food. Meanwhile, the healthy food demands were increasing in the market so businessmen have to increase their product of produce as well as supply to fulfill customer needs. In fact, businessmen also utilize this advantage to increase their sales and gain profit. For instance, people would like to buy more organic vegetables, fruits, chicken etc. To fulfill people demands while cutting the cost of productions, there are many businessmen started to act in unethical way to produce those products.

Unfortunately, those businessmen are failure their commitment to consumers. They are trying to add harmful ingredients in the product such as food additives, trans fat, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate, common food dyes, sodium sulfite, sodium nitrate, butylated hydroxyanisole, butylated hydrozyttoluene, sulfur dioxide, potassium bromate etc. For example, sugar free chewing gum and coke light are actually containing artificial sweeteners but the product has been labeled as sugar free. Besides, margarine is containing trans-fat but the product labeled low fat. Therefore, these behaviors are considered as unethical because they are actually cheating consumers to gain the same profit with those ethical businessmen. In fact, those businessmen are not concern about their consumers’ health and do not even care their product safety as long as their profit is maximize while the cost is the minimum.

From the ScareCrow video we can see that there is a big company named “Crow Foods” which selling different types of product in different outlets such as chicken, beef and milk in the city. Those products are labeled in natural and 100% pure product and they are selling very well in the city. One of the scarecrows working life and his feelings has been screened out in the video. The scarecrow face was showing depressed while step into the company and the customers purchasing those “100% pure beef” products to consume. Other that than, an evil crow always give orders to the scarecrow by hitting him. Based on the video, the evil crow is ordering the scarecrow to repair the defectives. When the scarecrow is fixing the building, he saw that the so called “all natural” chicken is been given injections to grow more fat and increase the volume while the fresh milk that producing have been added chemical through the machine but not natural handmade squeezing. After a whole working day, the scarecrow is tired with all the guilty and depressed feeling because of what he has done today. Once he reached home, he saw his own plant then he decided to leave the company and run out from the worst feeling. In result, he opened a small business in selling food that is 100% natural and fresh. He also encourages people to have awareness in product safety by using a slogan which titled “Cultivate a Better World” and he lives happily.

This video has given an inspiration that product safety especially the food and health have to be concern on. Consumers have the rights to know about the product they are consuming. As we know that, in reality the crow is represent manager and the scarecrow is labor. I strongly disagree those unethical ways that the company implements because it is cheating customer to buy their product. Customers are expecting a better quality of product if they paying in higher price as customer always want to feel worth in using the product. Since customers are concerning their health so that they would like to comprehend the nutrition. However, the businessmen are trying to hide the fact and labeled those products is safety and quality guarantee. Thus, customers will refer to the label and read the information and nutritional value to choose the product like low fat and sugar free but they might not know the product will bring harm to them. Likewise, the labor is facing an ethics dilemma situation as he is struggling with himself that he wants to stay loyal with the company or telling truth.  Finally, the labor has make a decision whereby leaving the company and opened his own small business :)) (He has make a good decision because based on his perception he think that the company is doing the wrong thing but what he is doing now is right.)

Similarly, this video make me recall back to a news that related to this particular issues which is the suppliers have add chemical coloring to the chicken in order to fulfill the consumer needs “kampong chicken”.  The skin of “Kampong chicken” is rendered partially yellow or pale yellow in color due to the consumption of corn and also the food coloring in the feed. However, the original kampong chicken is never as beautiful yellow as those chickens which selling in the market. According to the news, someone declared that the chicken will not be that yellowish if the sellers follow the food coloring standard. In fact, the seller would like use the cheaper chickens and dye them by using yellow coloring powder that containing 6mg/kg Aniline that can replace the original kampong chicken. Actually, the Aniline is the chemical that can bring a side effect and harm people health after consumption.

http://news.sinchew.com.my/node/324593  (Here is the news that talking about the skin of kampong chicken is rendered partially yellow)

Of course, people who concern their health will actually choose the healthy food to consume. However, those businessmen always utilize our innocence to achieve their objectives whereby we do not know how actually all the food has been produced and whether the food that we consume is original or has been added any chemical or food additives. Hence, consumers give all the trust to supplier but they are using unethical way to blindfold us. I felt so disappointed because we are spending the money to take care our health but the seller behave unethically as they want to cut cost to gain maximum profit. This is really unfair that we could not get what we desired after we put effort but the sellers achieve what they want without putting any serious effort.

In conclusion, I think that if we are one part of any unethical company labor, we have to voice out the truth to let public aware about it because customers always have the right to know what they are consuming. On the same hand, as a healthy consumer we must know our consumer rights and always stick to our own stands.

LET US FIGHT AGAINST UNETHICAL FOOD COMPANY!!!

References

FOOD MATTERS. 2013. TOP 10 FOOD ADDITIVES TO AVOID. [online] Available at: http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/top-10-food-additives-to-avoid [Accessed: 13 Oct 2013].

Discrimination and abuse maid of foreign workers

Nowadays, foreign workers quantity has been increasing day by day. Normally, those foreign workers consist of Indonesia, Bangladesh, Philippine, Myammar, Vietnam, Cambodia and etc. As our country keep developing different types of business and they are lack of manpower. Therefore, Malaysia government has implemented new rules on hiring foreign workers that would facilitate the employment and ensure the protection of overseas workers. In fact, foreign workers are really useful in business ways as management can use cheaper salaries to hire them. Foreigners that from other country willing to take risk to work in our country because their country does not have much job opportunities to earn for their family living fees. In Malaysian perception, they always have a higher expectation in getting employed with a better job as they always think that their experiences and knowledge are good enough if compare with foreign workers. In this situation, Malaysian might not able to get job easier because they believe that their ability is higher than foreigners and also  foreigners will become one of the competitors in looking for job. Thus, the unemployment rate of Malaysian will be increase as well, since foreigners willing to do lower level job but Malaysian might not work in lower level job. I believe that it was one of the reasons to make our country become confusion.

On the other hand, there are some Malaysian always discriminate foreign workers. When come to this scenario, it will let people get into dilemma ethics. As some of the people will think that foreign workers can make economic growth because we can hire them in a cheaper price. Since businessman usually will minimize the cost and get the maximum profit. However, they are some people think that foreign workers to work in our country will make our country become disrupted. This is because of Malaysian will started to live and work with foreign workers in a same country. It will increase our country population and the quality of living standard will be decrease or lower. As we know that, different country have their own culture so Malaysian will discriminate those foreigners is because their country does not advance than our country. Therefore, Malaysian will automatically to consider those foreigners are lack of knowledge and to look down upon on them.

In fact, discrimination can be consider as personal ethics which will be related to dilemma ethics because it is depend on person how to think about foreign workers. Some people might think that hire or import foreign workers always are troublemakers for those employers who are using them in service industry. For instance, a restaurant was hired foreigners as a waiter and some of them are not polite to customer. Thus, this might cause employer more trouble as customer will not satisfied the services and employer will start to blame those foreigners. Even some foreign workers do the right thing but once customers’ complaint the services; the employers will definitely blame foreigners. This is because they are discriminate foreigners. I strongly believe that everyone will have the same reaction. If I’m the employers for the restaurant, when comes to this scenario I will discriminate foreign workers as well. It is because I always have a mindset of discriminate regarding foreign workers behavior. Although this is unethical action and not respect for them, but their reaction and behavior in our country were spoiled so that their image already bad in my first impression. After they import in our country, there are many case were happened such as crime incidents as their salaries are not enough. Normally, those crime cases are related to foreign workers so it become stereotyping in my perception.

Likewise, people are discriminate of foreigner so that we are not respect on them. Thus, there are some people vent by shouting with foreign workers especially housemaid. Housemaid is one of the foreign workers that import by government to our Malaysia. However, people always discriminate on them so that abuse maid cases keep increasing as well. As we know that, abuse maid is illegal for every country but some of the people might think that housemaid should undertake those abuses because they are paying salaries for them.  I still remembered that, there was a case talking about a family who a husband and his wife being cruel to their maid and abuse her always. Based on the news, these couples who from Hong Kong abuse their maid who from Indonesia by using the heat of iron and the metal chains from motorcycle to beat and hurt the maid. It was so ridiculous! How people can do this for foreign workers? This is my first response when I read this news. Nevertheless, I was not really agree to import foreigners in our country and might be discrimination of them or stereotyping. However, people have not the right to abuse maid or everyone.

In this case, it is an unethical action and illegal of the husband and wife. As they have not the authority to hurt them and abuse maid on that way. Everyone have their right to live well and do the things they want. It might not be making decision by others and we are not allowed to control people as well. We always have to put ourselves into other shoes, if I was the husband or wife I strongly believe that I will not do this unethical action for the maid as she also a people who want to earn money to their family. However, some of the people are not realize that, this ethical issue will be happen is because they are think that this action is right. People will think they are paying salaries for maid so why they should respect on her? Therefore, abuse maid cases keep seriously day by day. I am not agreeing with this because I strongly believe that people are not able to do so even they are paying for the maid. Since housemaid also a normal people like us why they have to undertake this abuse?

In a nut shell, I realize that actually government import foreign workers to our country more benefit than cost. Even I am not really accepting foreigners but they were always based on the greatest result by majority which means the utilitarianism. Basically, people are think that foreign workers more benefits for our country as they cost lesser and their contribution is great even there are many crime cases but there are just some foreigners will did that.

No matter how discriminate for foreign workers, just hope that everyone can protect those maids because it was a serious issue that we should concern and improve :) . Thanks :)

Ethics?

In this society, there are many case happened in our life. In my opinion, different people have different emotional and perception so legal and policies are very important in this society. Nowadays, robber case and unethical case are increasing day by day. After I have taking this subject, I realize that different people have different perception about those cases. It will make people easy to get into ethics dilemma situation. Basically, ethics are all about people try to live their lives according to a standard of “right” or “wrong” behavior. Ethics also concerned with how people act and how people live in their lives.

I still remember that one of the examples in lecture class is regarding child was stolen the bread from bakery shop as the child has been starved for few days. He steals the bread because his parents were not able to work and getting sick. He wants to resolve his meal but he has not money so that he chooses the way to get the bread but unfortunately it was get caught by the bakery shop staff. The child start to explain why he was stealing the bread is because he was not able to work and lack of skills so that he only can choose the way to steal the bread. Assume that you are the staff of bakery shop; will you put yourself into his shoes and empathy the child situation? When this scenario came out in the class, students were started to discuss it is the child action consider as ethical and the reason is acceptable in real life. Since different people have different perception so there are different answers from different students. Some of the students think that this is unethical action as steal is an unethical action in our real life. It is about legal and policies that provides a very important guide to ethical decision making. For my opinion, I also think that steal is an action that is not ethical in our life. However, some people think that this action can be acceptable as the child is not willing to steal but he is no money to buy the food. Thus, people will think that should empathy the child but they forgotten every single problem also have the solution and choices. Even I was empathy the child but this is about ethics. He has the choice to choose do or not to do.

Meanwhile, this situation could be consider as dilemma ethics as people leaving an equally “right” choice undone. It meant like people contradicting a personal ethical principle in making the choice. In this case, why people will get into dilemma ethics is because students are not able to come out with an accurate decision and because of personal emotion. As the child is not willing to steal the bread but he has been starved few days so that he did this action. People will empathy his situation so that can’t bear to see the child starve for few days and his parents were getting sick at home could not take care of him. People will struggle whether to trust the child or not to trust. Normally people will empathy about his situation but actually this action is not ethical when comes to logical. Since different cases might make people get into dilemma ethics so that they have to know how to resolve when get into ethical dilemma. Therefore, I think that to resolve ethical dilemma situation have to be rational then only able to identify the situation and come out with the right behavior. There also have three steps to resolve an ethical dilemma. Step one is analyze the consequences which mean people have to think about the consequences what will actually affect to others. When come to this case, if send the child to the police station the consequences might be getting punishment according to the law. However, people will think that he just a child and he still young, we should give him a chance to repent and educate him about steal is an unethical action. Thus, I think that before doing decision has to know which consequences will affect more so that can make a right decision. Step two is analyze the actions. When come to take action, we have to analyze is this action suitable for the cases. If not, what supposed to do when encounter this kind of situation? Last step is make a decision. After analyze the consequences and action, we have to know which solution will be suitable then make a decision for the case. As every single problem sure have the solution to resolve it.

Thus, I realize that ethics is very important in our real life. Ethics make people understanding what they are doing and understanding right or wrong behavior. Ethics is a requirement for human life. It means people of deciding a course of action. Assume that our life without ethics, it will become random and aimless. People will do whatever they like and they will think everything is correct once without ethics. Thus, we have to set an ethical standard to ensure that our life can be more rational when encounter problem. Even some of the people still will do unethical action but they will get punishment based on the law. This is why we need to know about ethics and set the legal rules to ensure people will not do the wrong things. Therefore, ethics is very important in a country as ethics can lead people make a right decision and practice a good behavior.

In conclusion, I found out that ethics is not only about honest and not cheating people. Before that, in my mindset I think that ethics is become honest to everyone and not breaking the rules. However, I realize that ethics is not only about doing right and wrong behavior. It also will get into ethical dilemma so that we have to very clear about our standard and make a right decision. I also learn about how to resolve ethical dilemma situation and identify the right behavior to different kind of cases. I hope that the following class can learn more about types of ethics so that able to know ethics can be dividing into how many types.

Let’s fight with ethics !!