KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 — The study on the effectiveness of the Lemon Law, which is being drafted by the government, will consider several loopholes in provisions under the Consumer Protection Act 1999 (Act 599) so that it can resolve cases where consumers face repeated issues with purchased products, such as a newly-bought vehicle.
Deputy Domestic Trade and Cost of LIving Minister Fuziah Salleh said the study would review the definition of consumer under the Act as currently it touches all domestic use and not commercial consumers.
“We also will look at the lack of a governing body to look at consumer complaints and if we create regulations, we want them to be able to plug all those loopholes. Otherwise, we will consider having new laws,” she said after a special Dewan Rakyat session today in response to a speech by Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi) that discussed the need of such legislation to protect consumers, especially vehicle buyers.
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali had recently announced that the government was studying several Lemon Laws and best practices of other countries following reports of newly purchased vehicles suffering endless problems going viral on social media.
The Lemon Law would allow compensation rights to consumers to obtain remedies for products that repeatedly break down or fail to meet quality standards, including seeking a replacement of damaged vehicles, a reduction of price or compensatory payment.
“In Malaysia, legal provision based on Lemon Law relate to the compensation rights of consumers against suppliers or manufacturers if the product fails to comply with the guarantee set under Act 599,” Fuziah said.
In the five years before March 15, she said that the ministry’s consumer movement division received 261 consumer complaints on vehicle quality problems involving new and used cars that were newly purchased, she said.
A total of 502 cases involving new vehicles were filed at the Malaysian Consumer Claims Tribunal in the same period, with 493 cases resolved, while 1,335 cases involving used cars were filed, with 1,120 cases resolved. — Bernama
