One of the local news on December 16, 2009 I saved in my blog.

Wednesday December 16, 2009
No change to planned tax on credit cards

PETALING JAYA: There is no change to the planned RM50 service tax for credit cards from next year, Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung said.

Chor said the RM25 tax for supplementary cards would also be imposed, despite reports stating otherwise.

“People keep asking me as there is news going around that the supplementary card tax will be abolished,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Chor added that some banks and finan­cial institutions were indirectly picking up the tab by offering certain promotions.

“If the banks want to keep their customers, they should offer to pay for their card-holders,” he said.

Meanwhile, Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations secretary-general Muhammad Sha’ani Abdullah suggested that one charge be imposed per customer, regardless of the number of cards.

“We want to encourage prudent spending but at the same time, we do not want people to go further into debt.

“The banks should also do their part to absorb the cost, instead of expecting AKPK (Credit Management and Debt Management Agency) to do everything,” he added.

The Credit Card Service Tax of RM50 for every Principal Card and RM25 for every Supplementary card will be charged.

I am sure bankers will help to adsorb the tax and this is what bankers offer: -

UOB is offering cardmembers a special rate of 10,000 UNIRinggit / RM50
Smart$ Cash Rebates to redeem against the Credit Card Service Tax of RM50 for a principal card and 5,000 UNIRinggit / RM25 for a supplementary card.

Citibank offering 10,000 Citibank Rewards Points to redeem against the service tax for principal card and 5,000 Citibank Reward Points for Supplementary card for Platinum, Gold, Silver, Clear, Choice and CitiBusiness Gold cards.

For Air Asia cardholders, a special rate of 13,000 Citibank Rewards Points is required to redeem against the service tax for principal card and 6,500 Citibank Rewards Points for Supplementary card.

CIMB Bank offers the same. 10,000 points for principal card and 5,000 for Supplementary card to to redeem against the Credit Card Service Tax.

That’s all I managed to find online. If you have other banks offer about the solution to safe on Credit Card Service Tax. Please share with me.

In conclusion, credit card holders need to spend RM800 – RM900 per month to entitle for the redemption. If you wish to safe the service tax, plan well. Else, just pay.

Updated on 27.01.10
Maybank and Alliance Bank is offering the same redemption scheme as well.

I need to arrange a day to go for my annual medical check up. Every times comes to this period will remind me how lucky I am.

I feel thankful because I still alive. Thanks to hubby who signed a medical check up membership. Thanks to hubby, he forced me to go for check up that the result saved my life. This was happened few years back and I wish to share my experience to all of you.

Do you know that you will never know you lung is having problem even you go for medical check up, with blood test some more?

The x-ray had shown my abnormal pleural. Yes. Thank you for the medical check up package which chest x-ray is included.

I got no any others symptom besides lost weight at that time. I am slim at all time so I have no awareness about my body health get into trouble.

It’s Pleural effusion. The specialist requested me to admit on the spot. Pleural effusion may be tuberculosis, malignant Mesothelioma, lung cancer and etc.

After diagnosis, that was virus affected due to my ‘too weak’ body. Although I am full recovered now but the progress of treatment and medications was a nightmare for me.

My advice: Go for medical check up if your weight drops 5 kgs. Take chest x-ray for safe besides doing the blood test as the cost not much. Better play safe then sorry.

I am serious and very concern about this because I still alive.

To continue and keep up healthy is a mom responsibility.