GEORGE TOWN, January 27 – The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) is urging Malaysia’s Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDNKSH) to promptly implement an all-encompassing Lemon Law covering both used and new vehicles. While recognizing KPDNKSH’s examination of laws related to used vehicle transactions, CAP stresses the need to extend the Lemon Law’s protection to encompass new cars, citing instances of significant defects surfacing shortly after purchase.
CAP emphasizes that the introduction of a robust Lemon Law, akin to successful models in countries like Singapore and the United States, is crucial to safeguarding consumer rights, ensuring timely repairs or replacements for defective vehicles, and holding manufacturers and dealers accountable. CAP outlines the prevailing challenges faced by Malaysian vehicle owners, especially those with cars exceeding RM50,000, who encounter prolonged repair processes, false diagnoses, and legal hurdles in seeking redress.
The organization advocates for an expeditious introduction of the Lemon Law, proposing a reasonable timeframe and repair attempts before invoking the law, and emphasizes the need for stringent inspections of secondhand vehicles to prevent the sale of defective units. CAP asserts that a comprehensive Lemon Law would provide consumers with effective legal recourse, filling a critical gap in the current consumer protection framework and addressing the escalating concerns of Malaysians grappling with defective vehicles.
