Carmakers in Malaysia are not ready for the July 2019 implementation deadline for the eCall emergency response system proposed by the government. This was said by Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) president Datuk Aishah Ahmad at the auto manufacturer and distributor group’s annual general meeting in Sunway today.
According to Aishah, the government is pushing for July 1, 2019 as the deadline for implementation for the eCall emergency call system in cars, where the system will automatically send an SOS signal to MERS 999 (Malaysian Emergency Response Services), which will forward the call to relevant emergency agencies in the event of an accident.
Incorporating a new feature in cars isn’t as simple as just “plug and play”, more so when the system isn’t developed by themselves, the reasoning goes, and carmakers need three years lead time to work on this, Aishah said. “Our request was not heard… we hope they hear us,” she added. The auto club head did not explicitly say it, but one gets the feeling that eCall is being forced on the carmakers by the government without much consultation.
Aishah said that new models that MAA members have planned to introduce in Malaysia might be affected by this eCall development, and there is also the possibility of higher car prices if the system is made mandatory.
In January, the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) and Telekom Malaysia (TM) signed a memorandum of cooperation on the implementation of the eCall system. It was reported by The Star that the emergency response system will go on trial ahead of it being a mandatory feature for new vehicles in the future. No date was mentioned then.
Transport minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai revealed that Miros was in discussions with car manufacturers on the implementation of the system. “With this automatic alert system, it will ensure the ambulance can reach the accident site as soon as possible. The first 10 to 15 minutes is dubbed the ‘golden time’, and if assistance can reach the victim in time, we can save more lives,” he said, adding that the safety feature will not come as an added cost to consumers.
It is said that data generated from the eCall system will be used by Miros for research and analysis. Malaysia is high up the charts in road accident deaths, and the government is targeting a 50% reduction in fatalities by 2020.
From the government’s point of view, carmakers should embrace eCall. “The response from car manufacturers has been very good. After all, if carmakers equip their cars with this feature, it will enhance the car’s safety aspects and becomes an added value, which in turn will help their sales,” Liow reasoned.
Centralised emergency SOS systems aren’t very common globally. Russia has one in place, and even the European Union is only now making it mandatory – from April 2018, all new cars in the continent must have an eCall system that will automatically dial 112 – Europe’s single emergency number – in the event of an accident.
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Lots of accesosries shop jual ni…beli je ..
Better make “Check Your Child” alert compulsory..
Ministry got no guts to give ultimatum to car companies cause nearly all car companies in Malaysia are owned by the Government.
In overseas, Governments are neutral. they got no stake in car companies. They make sure all car companies give high spec safety features and if they don’t, the Government sue these car companies.
In Malaysia, how Government want to sue their own self??
Plssssss… Fix the basic safety first, all car makers with VSC & Traction Control. In 2018 we still found Honda Jazz lowest spec no VSC… Apa ini …???
Axia got no ABS also besides no VSC. Faham faham lah, UMW owns Perodua 73%
And who owns UMW?
Ministry and MITI can never get anything done fast. Must have 100x meetings and minum teh makan kuih each meeting.
Macamlah perdana tu ada vsc.
In 2018 we still can found new Axai got no ABS also besides no VSC, no rpm meter in addition with missing temperature gauge (since all brand new PooDua removed temperature gauge already, perhaps they like your car engine got cooked or worse, burned down due to car badly overheat which went unnoticed due to missing gauge). Don’t tell us new cars won’t get overheat issue, that’s why don’t need temp gauge already as early batch Civic FC turbo also got overheating issue.
Better ask your jepunis overlord for VSC, not gomen
Malaysia already has the highest car prices in the world. Now, they threaten us, prices may go up?? Are they crazy??
Anyway, besides this, government should push for mandatory 6 airbags and VSC in all cars.
In overseas, this is standard in all cars. VSC has been standard in all cars in Europe and Japan the past 12 years.
In Malaysia, we have to beg for VSC for years.
Think forward pls. It’s aimed to save life
Think forward? You are the one that should think forward. What the G aims to prevent death AFTER an accident occur. WHY NOT aim to prevent accident from occurring instead? BY MAKING VSC COMPULSORY? Sad to see more and more dumb humans in the world. Not only in Malaysia but the whole world.
Government owned UMW only gave VSC in all their cars in 2017.
Even RM150k Camry also had no VSC.
But the same Toyota cars sold in Japan, Corolla, Camry had VSC more than 10 years.
What? Gomen sells cars? Hahahaha. When election is coming, everything will be related to gomen and bashed.
er, before comment please update your knowledge on automotive GLCs in malaysia yea
Same cars sold in Japan have VSC as standard and FREE. Also, 9 to 10 airbags is standard too.
Same cars sold in Malaysia, still have 2 airbags.
In the event of accidents,whether people r alive or half dead,do u know who arrives first?
The CALLMAN with the radio n handphone n tow truck.I m sure they will call the emergency hotlines.You mean they tow the damaged vehicles n leave the occupants dying at the road side or kerbs?
The other day,my car broke down..within a minute ,a tow truck arrived…
I think the device is given to someone as a big contract…u see the logic?
Although it’s nice to have it I think the government should push for mandatory VSC, 6 airbags and AEB which is easier and quicker to implement the only can they look at setting up this emergency call centre.
Which car manufacture in malaysia do provide this service ? I do know bmw have it for entire lineup
the govt cant even control/irradicate simple issue like illegal car window tints for soooooo many years…….now wanna implement e-call??
Many in another 150 years….with fat hope
Even 20 years also cannot eradicate fake oil and fake brake pads and fake coolant, fake wiper blades, fake tyres….now want to do this???
Yeah count the sum of workshops in bolehland and count how many gomen enforcers are around.
If you see fake things around you bash, if gomen adds enforcers / gomen servants you say too many pulak
Topkek
Government should consider to reduce the tax, so this system can be implemented.
I find it quite amusing how MAA is pushing for such high-level systems as eCall when they can’t even do their own jobs properly. Bring back monthly reports for new car MODELS sales data, then we’ll talk about eCall.
Malaysia (MAA) is the only car manufacturing country which explicitly forbids information about what kind and how many models are sold monthly/annually locally.
Even as far back as the 1970s, MAA / MMTA used to publish such info. By the 2000s, you could easily get such info online. But then, around mid 2012, MAA stopped publishing models sales data (only brands and segment data is published currently).
Apparently, the MyCC (Malaysian Competitive Commission) believes that sharing car models sales data is ‘unlawful’ because they (and some car companies) think it is ‘uncompetitive’. What nonsense !
When MAA comes back to their senses, and realise what kind of joke they’re trumpeting, then we’ll see. Once upon a time, MAA / MMTA used to do their job properly, they used to represent the car companies and the common motorist. Now they’ve become yet another government sock-puppet, like MAI and JPJ.
Does Malaysia even need eCall right now ? When people don’t even wear seatbelts and ABS is still not a given ? Why push for eCall when we can push for even stricter ASEAN NCAP regulations, and Euro 5 emissions ? And whatever happened to the metal number plates ?
MAA, MAI, JPJ… all of them are run by a bunch of jokers and dreamers.
Its the government forcing the manufacturers to implement it. MAA wants the dateline to be extended. Please read the article carefully else make u same like those answering SPM English paper with perfect English but not answering what’s the question wants.
Righto mate. They are whole bunch of fallacies.
u stupid? it is MOT not MAA WANTS THE ECALL
Aero, do u understand what u read? or u don’t even bother to read properly.
MAA is not pushing for the eCall system to be implemented sooner. The government is!. MAA says, carmakers need three years lead time to work on this”.
Learn to read and understand first b4 u comment.
MyCC, MAI, MAA talk a lot only. Same cars sold in Japan have 9 to 10 airbags.
Come to Malaysia, local distributors, mainly Governmet owned take out all the airbags to save cost and untung more
MAA and MAI are only good to tabulate monthly car sales and their data and ranking. Other than that they serve no purpose. Simply give free jobs. Goyang kaki
Govt should push for safety features like 6 airbags, lane departure warning etc as.opposed.to.this…. if the victim is still conscious, they can call the ambulance. Why need another system.?
Minister should push for compulsory use of car seat for infants yet as always, he focus on another less pressing matter.
We need Ministers from Mainland. they can make good decisions for us.
Will it work if the A pillar or the whole car mangled? Or when the driver already stuck/ pinned to the car. In my humble opinion most fatalities involves motorcycles and pedestrians. And mostly hit and run accident. Do the government consider the scenario of hit and run where the driver will not stop and call for ambulance. And knowing TM it just another way of forcing consumer to subscribe to their system. With nowdays they are losing their broadband solution to other more competitive provider. Now they want to get a way with new market and general public forced to accept the service.
Why must be TM? Why not Maxis, Celcom, Digi or Time? TM is another company. Yesteryears they are Jabatan Telekom Malaysia. Now no more where SKMM taking over as regulatory body. Their Unifi also struggle with infrastructure to new Township now wants to force into car manufacturers. If accident happens says in interior of Sabah, Sarawak…what happen ? Sorry Cik, perkhidmatan tak ada di kawasan tersebut…
Miros,no need la.just use cambridge analityca for survey purpose.want to use this system?even onecwoman already honking at the police station gate cannot get any help.
There’ll be many false alarm, mischievous kids and or simpletons abusing this sos button aka emergency feature!
Our gov should implement such important and safe features for the people asap
Excuses, excuses, excuses. Either just shaddup and install it or get outa here. Plenty more car brands willing to fill MY market. Safety of pipu lives r more important than profits. Our lives aint so cheap anymore.
Just impose no eCall system, no permit to sell. Then see all those car makers mysteriously able to comply. BMW already have this system ready, why others luxury brands can’t? They are inferior to BMW?
this ecall is totally different from bmw. if u dont know, shaddap and get lost
Many accident cases need to wait for 1 hour+ for the ambulance to come. For this ecall maybe can sleep in the car while waiting for help to come, that is provided the help really come.
Business is always not ready for everything.
Take for a leaf from Europe. When countries in Europe want to reduce vehicle emissions by certain level or do away with diesel cars, or fosil fuel cars, they just pass the law and everybody follow suit.
These days most passenger cars in Europe got start-stop capability, not just BMW or premium marks.
If it’s in the interest of the public, just do it laa.
I hope this doesnt ended up being a monthly subcription thing.
This implementation is a passive safety system.
Why don’t govt push for active safety sytems obligatory first like ABS, VSC, AEB, DRL(some people just refused to turn on small headlamp when it get a little bit darker/dawn/dusk/fog/rain/tunnel), etc. It’s been long a standard in other countries and should be easier, quicker and doesn’t cost as much to implement(new Perodua Myvi proved this).
If I would add, a better handling for A and B segments new cars aka reduced body roll. Less sudden rolling feel will curb sudden panic, better steering response in emergency situation, and reduce the chance for the car from rolling for real during an event of accident. R&D cost should’ve been justified during the development of the car and it shouldn’t cost that much for a single front anti-roll bar. Just my 2 cent.
MIROS wants to implement by July 2019 and expect a 50% reduction on fatalities by 2020… that’s a maximum of just 18 months to see such a drastic reduction.
Why not just have an app for it… it would be distributed free to download and ready to use by the get go.
yet another automotive association…just how many automotive association does the gov intend to have ^^
you dont stupid la. MAA is NGO of the auto industry got nothing to do with G.
The question is, why TM got the job?
eCall system will be contracted out to which relatives?
Just an explanation how it works in an european Ford: The Smartphone is connected via bluetooth to the car’s entertainment system, the automatic emergeny call is made when the airbag is triggered. No pushbutton and therefore no false alarms.
This doesn’t sound neither too complicated, nor too expensive to me…
Of coz cannot. Every driver’s smartphone have their own respective telco simcard, not TM’s one. Govt have to include all telcos if they choose to implement this quicker, easier, lesser cost solution. That’s not how it work mate.
It must be ONE NETWORK PROVIDER ONLY, hence it doesn’t matter if it’s harder & costlier to implement. Just make it quick by mid 2019
why 999?
this no must have cell coverage right…what happen at area with no coverage…112 is the best bet.
cost not an issue, even cheapo basic Samsung at RM 80 can dial that no.
Well actually this device main hidden agenda is for tracking purpose since it’s link to the vehicle registration license plate. Very controversial as a tracking or spying device! Location and the full mapping of all the places you have travelled.