Why my home does not have a microwave oven

Microwave oven is a popular electrical appliance nowadays that you will probably find one in most of your friend's home. It is convenient to use, fast in cooking, and 3 times energy efficient (save electricity) than conventional oven. You might also observed that out of 10 electrical ovens displayed in shop, 8 are microwave ovens and only the other 2 are conventional ovens. My home has a Cornell conventional oven instead of a microwave one, because my wife and I are in doubt about the safety of microwave cooking. When still in doubt, we opt to play safe and use conventional oven instead.

There have been years of long debates over conflicting information on the safety of microwave cooking and their effect on the nutritional value of food, which is difficult to conclude till today. Obviously more research is required on this field, but most researcher unfortunately seem to be more interested in what happens if a microwave oven door malfunctions (danger of microwave leaking), than on the effects of eating microwaved foods.

In order to understand the debate subject, we need to have brief knowledge of how microwave oven works. The microwave oven generates electromagnetic waves (called microwave because the wavelength is short) at a frequency of 2,450 MHz. The microwaves bombard the molecules of water in the food. These molecules each have a positive and negative end, or “polarity”. The polarized molecules try to line themselves up with the electrical field, like compass needles trying to point North. But because the electrical field is reversing polarity at a rate of 2,450 million cycles a second, the water molecules end up rotating at the same speed. That activity generates heat, which cooks the food.

This violent movement of molecules causes substantial damage to some molecules, often tearing them apart or deforming them. People against microwave oven says that this action destroy the nutrients in the food, and might cause cellular mutation and deform the food into hazardous substances such as carcinogen (cancer causing agent). However, we have to also know that the same thing will happen to our food cooked in heated surface or directly burnt with fire. As a result, the United States' Food and Drug Administration (FDA) states that “foods cooked in a microwave oven may keep more of their vitamins and minerals, because microwave ovens can cook more quickly and without adding water.” (Click here to read the FDA's article)

This viewpoint is disproved by a study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture in 2003, whereby researchers from the Spanish scientific research council CEBAS-CSIC found that cooking by microwave is the worst way to preserve at least one key nutrient in vegetables.

Some of the earliest research into the effects of microwaved food was conducted in the 1950s in Russia which indicated bigger dangers than destruction of nutrients. Russian researchers found that people who ate microwaved foods had a statistically higher incidence of stomach and intestinal cancers, a general degeneration of peripheral cellular tissues, and a gradual breakdown of the digestive and excretory systems. Due to chemical alterations within the food, they had lymphatic malfunctions, causing a degeneration of the body’s immune system. As a result of that research, the Soviets banned the use of microwave ovens in 1976 and issued an international warning on the health hazards, both biological and environmental, of microwave ovens and similar frequency electronic devices. This point is always heralded by people against microwave oven. However, the ban was lifted later in late 1980s, overturning their earlier decision, and the whole world appears not to have headed the warning at all.

Another article by Doctors Hertel and Blanc appeared in a Swiss environmental magazine entitled Journal Franz Weber, which stated that the consumption of food cooked in microwave ovens had cancerous effects on the blood as indicated by an increase of leukocytes, which could indicate cell damage, after eating microwaved substances. The authorities reacted promptly. In 1992, a powerful trade organization, the Swiss Association of Dealers for Electro-apparatuses for Households and Industry, known as FEA forced the Swiss courts to issue a “gag order” against them. The following year, Dr. Hertel was convicted for “interfering with commerce” and prohibited from further publishing his results. However, he fought the decision and both it and the gag order were reversed in 1998 when the European Court of Human Rights in Austria ruled that there had been a violation of his rights in the 1993 decision. As a result, Switzerland was ordered to pay him compensation.

The debates are still on, so we are still in doubt. Do you have a microwave oven in your home? Are you also in doubt about the hazardous sayings of it?

Withdrawal of EPF money for investment (Part 2/2)

If you haven't read Part 1 of this post, please click here.

Under the EPF Member’s Investment Scheme, you can withdraw a portion of your EPF Account 1 savings for investment with approved unit trust funds and/or fund managers if you fulfill the following:

• You are a Malaysian citizen or Permanent Resident, or a non-Malaysian citizen (expatriate) who became a member of the EPF before 1 August 1998.
• You have not reached 55 years old.
• Your EPF Account 1 have at least RM5,000 more than the Basic Savings amount based on your current age.

And here are the conditions for withdrawal:

• Withdrawal can be done at intervals of 3 months from the date of the last withdrawal (date of money transferred).
  
• Each time, you must withdraw a minimum of RM1,000 from your Account 1.
• Each time, you cannot withdraw more than 20% of the amount exceeding the required Basic Savings in Account 1.
• All investment must be using Account 1 savings. You are not allowed to make additional investments under the scheme using your own money.

How to proceed with the withdrawal?

You can contact the office or any agents of the approved fund management institutes under the scheme. An example of unit trust manager is Public Mutual Bhd, and an example of fund manager is Apex Investment Services Bhd STA-3 Securities Trading Account.

Here is an example of calculation on the eligible amount to withdraw from Account 1 for investment.

Mr. X, aged 35, has accumulated RM80,000 in his EPF Account 1.

Based on the Basic Savings requirement, his Account 1 must have at least RM29,000.

The excess amount will be RM80,000 - RM29,000 = RM51,000.

He can withdraw up to 20% of this excess amount for investment purpose. That will be RM51,000 x 20% = RM10,200.

Since he have to withdraw a minimum of RM1,000 under the scheme, he can invest any amount between RM1,000-RM10,200.

He can still invest 3 months later, if 20% of the excess amount in Account 1 by then is still more than RM1,000.

You can check for your most current EPF account statement using their online service, and see how much savings are sitting in your Account 1.

Withdrawal of EPF money for investment (Part 1/2)

Our EPF (a.k.a. KWSP) savings yield dividends which are generated from EPF’s investment activities and declared annually. The EPF’s investments are pretty conservative in nature and the historical highest dividend declared was 8.5% between 1983-1986 and the lowest was 2.5% between 1952-1959.

On the contrary, the EPF Member’s Investment Scheme allows contributors to withdraw savings from Account 1, in excess of Basic Savings, for investment in approved unit trust funds and/or fund managers under the scheme. During the bull market, these funds can easily outperform EPF dividend yield by a few times and provide chance for your retirement money to grow faster.

As a result, we have the following 3 choices for our EPF Account 1 savings to go for:

1. Retain the EPF savings in the account
Description: Don't withdraw and let your EPF savings stay and grow in your account.

Pros:

• The EPF ensures that your savings are secured and never make a lost.
• It has a guaranteed minimum dividend of 2.5% every year.

Cons:

• The savings growth is relatively slow.
  
• The dividend yield might not be significant enough to cover the inflation rate.
• You have no control over investment decisions. Some of EPF past investments are very questionable.
• Fund performance is only made known to public once a year when dividend is declared.
  

2. Invest in Unit Trust Funds
Description: Withdraw part of your EPF Account 1 savings and invest in approved unit trusts managed by approved unit trust managers. If you sell out the unit trusts, the money will go back to your EPF Account 1.

Pros:

• You do not need to fork out additional money from your pocket to make the investment.
  
• The investment will be professionally managed by licensed fund managers.
• Risk reduction through a diversified portfolio.
• Fund performance can be monitored with reports and price movement.

Cons:

• No guaranteed return (unless for certain guaranteed return funds) and there is a chance of making lost.
  
• You have no control over investment decisions.
• A service charge of up to 3% when buying the units under the EPF Member’s Investment Scheme.
• Switching and transfer funds might also incur service charge.

3. Invest with Fund Managers
Description: Withdraw part of your EPF Account 1 savings and engage the services for professional fund managers appointed by the Ministry of Finance and approved under the scheme. If you terminate the service, the money will go back to your EPF Account 1. There are 2 modes of fund investment service: discretionary and non-discretionary.

Pros:

• For discretionary portfolio, your investment will be professionally managed by the licensed fund managers.
• For non-discretionary portfolio, you have the final say over investment decision, similar to invest directly in share market with remisiers.
• Better chance to always outperform the best unit trusts if you are good in investment.

Cons:

• High entry level as there is a minimum fund size of acceptance to fund management. Usually your EPF Account 1 need to have 6 digits before engaging this service.
• No guaranteed return and there is a chance of making lost if not careful.
• For non-discretionary portfolio, you need to devote considerable time and effort to manage your portfolio.

Related links to EPF website:

• About the EPF Member’s Investment Scheme and eligibility info
  
• Table of required Basic Savings to retain in EPF Account 1 based on your age
• List of appointed fund management institutes under the scheme

To continue reading on Part 2 of this post, click here.