Consumer Tribunals in Malaysia

Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism (MDTCC)

Formerly known as the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumers Affairs, the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism (MDTCC)  was established on October 27, 1990 with the aim towards encouraging ethical trade practices and to protect consumer interest.

MDTCC may publish in the Gazette a list of products considered unsafe to be sold and may then require the suppliers or manufacturers of the prohibited products to either recall the products, stop the sale and advertisements of the products, disclose to the public information relating to the characteristics which make the products unsafe, repair or replace the products or refund the purchasers.

The ministry's functions include managing matters related to consumer protection and intellectual property; licensing for manufacturing and sales, direct selling, and selling of petroleum and petrochemical products; implementing weights and measures rules; and registering of trusts companies and businesses. Official site features consumerism education, consumer claim tribunal, goods under price and supply control, acts, statistics, forum, e-aduan and e-tribunal.

The ministry has also set up an interactive and informative consumerism portal known as 1Malaysia Pengguna Bijak (1MPB). Consumer can update themselves with current price of 100 consumer items throughout Malaysia through Pricewatch module. It helps consumer plan their spending wisely through price comparison and know the nearest premise that offer fair price. 1MPB also provides SMS services to consumers - price check and subscriptions, complaint and tribunal claim.

Tribunal For Consumer Claims Malaysia

Tribunal For Consumer Claims Malaysia (or TTPM :- Tribunal Tuntutan Pengguna Malaysia) is an independent judicial body established under Section 85,  Part XII of the Consumer Protection Act 1999 and came into force on 15 November 1999.


The primary objective of establishing the Tribunal is to provide an alternative forum for consumers to file claims in a simple, inexpensive and speedy manner.

The Tribunal has the jurisdiction to hear:

1. any claim in respect of any matter within its jurisdiction   to  hear as provided for under the Act;
    
2. where the total amount claimed does not exceed RM25,000.00;
    
3. any claim in respect of any goods or services for which no redress mechanism is provided for under any other written law; and 
    
4. a claim based on a cause of action which accrues within three  years of the claim.

 For more info about TTPM, please go to the link here.

Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (FOMCA)

Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (FOMCA) is a national non-governmental organization that is voluntary, non-profit and non-political. It is an umbrella body of registered consumer associations in Malaysia.

FOMCA links the activities of consumer associations in Malaysia as well as at the international level and works towards strengthening consumer protection throughadvocacy, lobbying, networking, representation, campaigning and education.

FOMCA was formed primarily to:

• Strengthen the growth and spread of the organized consumer movement in Malaysia.
• Resolve consumer issues and promote the rights of consumers.
• Promote through the purchasing power of consumers a “need-oriented” development that will ensure socio-economic justice and environmental quality of life for all.
• Coordinate as an advisory body to all the other consumer organization in Malaysia.

Consumers Association Penang (CAP)

CAP is a grassroots non-profit, non-governmental organization registered as a society with the Registrar of Societies, Malaysia since 1970. Unlike consumer organizations in the western world that advice consumers on the value for their money, CAP stresses ‘value for people’.

Through the years, the scope of CAP's concerns has expanded from matters of daily living such as product price and quality to more complex problems of meeting basic human needs, saving the environment from further deterioration, safeguarding human health, advocating for food security and sustainable livelihoods.

As a defender of consumer rights and interests, CAP organizes community awareness campaigns on a broad spectrum of consumer, health, social, economy and environment issues that involves research, education, capacity building, organizing and media work.

Objectives of CAP include:-

• To educate consumers, balance consumer needs and degree of protection and to provide relevant consumer rights and entitlements.
• To advice individual consumers and protect their rights.
• To ensure prices of goods are fair and appropriate with relevance to its quality and value.
• To work with the existing laws in order to protect consumer’s interest and general health.
• To encourage the involvement of society and citizens (consumers) in the consideration, standardization and basic provision of their rights.
• To work towards ensuring production of high quality products.
• To study the fluctuations in the market with regards to the factors affecting it, and to advice or make suggestions to the ministry and organizations involved in the business and commercial sectors.
• To carry out activities such as the publication of bulletins and ceiling price lists, as well as forming market organizations and consumer clubs

Through the years, CAPs work has lead to the exposing unethical business behavior in sectors like chemical products, food, pharmaceuticals and health etc. CAP’s advocacy has led to some improvements in the laws to regulate these practices.

Muslim Consumer Association of Malaysia (PPIM)

The Muslim Consumer Association of Malaysia (PPIM) was established in June 1997 by a group of conscientious Muslim professionals and individuals who were concerned with the growing challenges affecting Muslim consumers. PPIM was formed to safeguard the interests of Muslim consumers nationwide through proactive and strategically planned measures. 

Among the campaigns organized by PPIM is the usage of halal logo and the practice of halal certification policy by business industries as a way to inform and to reassure Muslim consumers that their products are  halal and shariah-compliant. Halal means “permissible”, and covers the aspects of slaughtering, storage, display, preparation, hygiene and sanitation. It covers food as well as non-food category of products.

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