Study On Lemon Law's Effectiveness Will Consider Loopholes In Act 599

According to Bernama, the government's feasibility study on a potential lemon law will reportedly take into account a number of Consumer Protection Act 1999 (Act 599) loopholes to be fixed.

For the purpose of ensuring that it can successfully handle situations involving recurring problems with recently acquired goods, like cars, such a study would examine the Act's definition of the consumer, which as of right now only applies to domestic users and excludes commercial users.

Fuziah Salleh, deputy minister of the domestic trade and cost of living ministry (KPDN), claims that this would bring regulations in line with the preferences of Proton, a major national automaker.

Roslan Abdullah, the deputy CEO of Proton, recently stated that while the company supports the idea of a lemon law to protect customers from faulty goods, it must balance the rights of manufacturers.

“We are supportive of efforts to protect consumers. It is our fervent hope that such a law should protect manufacturers, too, as we are also consumers.

“We also rely on parts from others and are exposed to the elements just like other consumers,” Roslan told FMT.

In response to Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan's speech regarding the necessity of a lemon law to protect consumers, Fuziah said that the government would examine the absence of an oversight body to examine consumer complaints and that if regulations were created, they should be able to close all of those gaps.

"If not, we'll think about passing new legislation," she added.

This comes after KPDN minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali declared that a feasibility study, taking into account lemon laws and best practices from various other nations, will be conducted this year.