KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 21 — Malaysian consumers’ empowerment level has improved from moderate to high, with the 2025 Consumer Empowerment Index (CEI) recording an overall score of 70.36 per cent, up from 63.1 per cent in 2020.

Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the increase of 7.26 percentage points reflected consumers’ growing knowledge, confidence and ability to make informed decisions and take action to protect their rights.

“The increase in the score is not merely a statistical figure, but a true reflection of changes in the attitudes and actions of Malaysians as consumers,” he said in a statement today.

He said the Redress Action domain recorded the largest improvement, rising by 10.74 percentage points to 66.84 per cent, indicating that consumers were becoming more capable of lodging complaints and seeking redress when their rights were infringed.

The Purchase Decision domain improved by 7.11 percentage points to 75.91 per cent, while the Financial Literacy domain rose by 3.97 percentage points to 66.47 per cent.

Armizan said the CEI study assessed consumer empowerment across three key areas: financial literacy, purchase decisions, and understanding and exercising the right to seek redress and compensation.

He said the study was first conducted in 2020 to establish a baseline, with the 2025 CEI serving as a follow-up assessment. Benchmarking against the European Union and South Korea was also undertaken to ensure the study’s standards and quality.

Separately, Armizan said the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) would continue to strengthen the Student Consumer Movement (GPS) as a platform for consumer education and advocacy among students at higher education institutions (IPT).

He said 196 GPS clubs had been registered nationwide, with students helping to raise awareness of consumer rights and responsibilities while promoting smart, ethical and responsible consumption.

The 2026 National Student Consumer Movement Assembly, held at the Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) from Oct 19 to 21, brought together 200 participants from 100 higher education institutions.

Activities included the GPS Exploration Challenge 2026, field visits with KPDN Kuala Lumpur enforcement officers, knowledge-sharing sessions, GPS Idea Lab presentations and the presentation of Food Bank Assistance Grants (i-FB). — Bernama