PSA: Petition to make the use of child restraints compulsory in passenger cars in Malaysia

In Safety / by /

Volvo V40 Child rear seat crash test

An informal group of concerned individuals called The Child Restraint Action Group hopes to petition the government to make child restraints (child seats) compulsory in all four-wheeled vehicles, in addition to other measures that might encourage parents to use these child restraints in their vehicles.

You can help these efforts by signing the petition below. There are about 100 signatures so far and the target is to hit 1,000 signatures. You can click the link that says “read full petition” below for more info.

If you are browsing from your mobile device and have difficulty accessing the embedded form, you can click here to see the petition in a new window.

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • AI-generated Summary ✨

    Comments strongly support making child restraints compulsory in Malaysia, highlighting concerns about safety, car model limitations, and affordability issues. Many emphasize the importance of education and awareness, criticize current enforcement gaps, and suggest government subsidies or incentives like free child seats. Respondents also discuss the high costs of car seats, cultural attitudes towards safety, and the need for improved enforcement and public awareness to truly protect children. Overall, the sentiment is positive towards the safety initiative, with calls for practical solutions.

  • man on May 22, 2015 at 2:54 pm

    To increase awareness among malaysian, it would be great if paultan.org can write an article about child car seat types, price and its availability in malaysia market.

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    • kadajawi (Member) on May 23, 2015 at 5:46 am

      That’s one thing, but what is also needed is to raise awareness of the consequences of not wearing seat belts and child seats.

      The media, including Paultan, but also mainstream media, should report on car crashes, especially the deadly ones. Like the Pajero accident… did the passengers in the Pajero wear their seat belts? Probably not. Stress that. Report on crashes where the passengers wore seat belts, and didn’t die. Report on crashes where the one in the car without seat belt died, or how he killed others in the car. How about that cop in the Preve, did he wear a seat belt? It surely doesn’t look like it, considering his position in the car, the position of the seat belt, and the condition of the car. Seems like a perfectly survivable crash… but he didn’t. No seat belt.

      Show what a difference it makes. Show that people not wearing it, not putting their children in child seats (and buckling them up) are risking their lives.

      On the enforcement side things like if the parents lose their child in a car crash because the child wasn’t protected by a child seat and seat belt, they should be charged with murder, and be treated as such. (With leniency of course given to those where the car/financials didn’t enable them to do so, maybe too many children etc. (but at least give as many as possible a proper place!)

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  • Duit Kopi How? on May 22, 2015 at 3:04 pm

    Very good move. I fully support it. But our polis have duit kopi culture. Everyone in Malaysia knows about this duit kopi.

    Until the duit kopi culture is abolished or diminished, we can have all the laws in the world, it won’t help.

    9 out of 10 offenders of any road offence settle their offence on the spot. Of course, there is no receipt issued. You know, I know lah. Nowadays, even if you don’t want to give also, polis officer very brave to ask and insist on duit kopi.

    Besides duit kopi, we have mudah lupa culture. Look at the back safety belts law, 1 or 2 weeks got big drama. After that, all is forgotten.

    This group, though intentions are good, better try to sort out our duit kopi culture. We can have the best laws in the world, but no enforcement, no point lah.

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  • KRS189 on May 22, 2015 at 3:15 pm

    Child seat with ISOFIX is Expensive.

    Not everybody can afford.

    Please lobby the Gov to Provide BKB1M (Bantuan Kerusi Bayi/Budak 1 Malaysia) to help the new Family.

    I want to enter tender to supply.

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    • tokmoh. on May 22, 2015 at 3:52 pm

      Baby seat got GST, GST kurangkan beban rakyat, oh waiiiit

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    • Lorat on May 22, 2015 at 4:29 pm

      AAM has stocks of them for rent from RM30 per month. Doesn’t even need to be a member to get this service.

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      • Sedih on May 22, 2015 at 5:53 pm

        I didn’t know about this. Is there any more services such as this? Paultan seriuosly need to do an article about the options for baby seats. Truth is, we cannot just force the implementation without any actual research on what it will do to the lowest income group. They cannot even afford to pay for the internet to post here and argue about this. Most commenting here are rich enough to have a smartphone/computer and an internet connection. I have met the kind of people that barely able to support their own family(3 kids, 8yo, 2yo, and 1 newborn), owning only a very old kancil. The husband is a security guard(for a primary school), though sometimes he does other part time jobs(cleaner, potong rumput). Wife not working because of the kids. Ever wonder what happens to people like him? He don’t even bother to complain about gst, knowing that even without gst, he still dont have enough money. Now you want to force people like him to buy a 200-300rm child seats? That’s 1/3 of his monthly income to feed the family for a month.

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        • Banq on May 22, 2015 at 8:54 pm

          I totally understand your concern but that doesn’t means people like him should not just leave their kids in harms way especially in a KANCIL which is extremly dangerous. I would suggest the government gives subsidies to people like him to purchase the child seat something like what Google does with Nexus products. This is more efficient way to help the poor rather than just handing out BR1M to everyone which is kinda pointless. HOWEVER IF I WAS IN THIS SECURITY GUARD’S POSITION I WOULD NOT EVEN HAVE A KID SINCE I COULD NOT EVEN TO AFFORD TO BUY A CHILD SEAT…

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          • Sedih on May 23, 2015 at 6:06 am

            From what i can see, they had a fair amount of family planning. The gap between the first and 2nd child is quite big. Only the 2nd and third is a bit small gap. Third one maybe unplanned or accidental(lol :p). Family planning is only as good as god’s willing. Who can blame them? You can’t expect them to be stable enough economically before having a child, by the time that happens, they might be in their 40s. And getting pregnant is more harmful when you are older.. I agree on some kind of subsidy for people like them, or low cost renting. Maybe some kind of installment. The actual problem is having to spend 300rm sekaligus, which is about 1/3 of their income. If they only have to come out with rm20 per month, i’m sure it will be a bit easier for them to pay.

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        • kadajawi (Member) on May 23, 2015 at 5:34 am

          There are many people who can afford it (for example the passengers in the Pajero… that is NOT a cheap car!), but who don’t use it.

          If you can’t afford it that is sad, and the government should perhaps help (by loaning child seats to poor families?). But often it’s not about being able to afford it, it is because of laziness, or misguided love for their child (thinking that it disturbs their child, they don’t want to put the child into a “prison”, …).

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          • VHL Lorr on May 23, 2015 at 1:40 pm

            @kadajawi, Anyway, problem with Malaysian is, those bling-bling, bodykits and oversized sport rims which for me is utter rubbish, they can afford to spend few thousands RM, somemore even took loan, no complain. But to purchase a good quality child seats which costs just couple of hundreds RM so that the children have higher chance of survival in unfortunate mishaps, complain here complain there.

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      • dannylee77 on May 23, 2015 at 12:48 am

        If rent is RM 30 per month , then one year = RM 360 , i think can buy 1 unit of New Baby Car Seat already , some baby car seat can use from newborn till 2-3 years old one…. don’t think its worth renting …

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    • sham on May 25, 2015 at 12:52 pm

      believe it or not, most of the best selling cars in malaysia they dont even have top tether for the child seats, and they don’t even have the ISOFIX , so instead of signing up to ask gov make child seat compulsory, lets sign to ask gov to force the carmakers to provide us a decent cars with decent saefty features, our life aren’t cheap !

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  • Sgt Scoop on May 22, 2015 at 3:17 pm

    I have child seats for both of my kids. I think safety is important. However, they are expensive and not everyone in Malaysia can afford them. They are also bulky, taking up precious space from other children or passengers. How is a rural family with 5 kids supposed to get around if all of the kids need child seats? You can’t fit 3 in one row. I think this campaign needs to think again.

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    • kzm (Member) on May 22, 2015 at 3:55 pm

      by design 4 door sedan or hatch..suppose to carry 5 (1 driver, 4 passengers)….not all kid need those bulky car seat, if they have certain height, weight n age they can use seat booster.

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      • kzm buda bodo (Member) on May 22, 2015 at 6:35 pm

        you got to tell that to your people, always carry kids on their lap.

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    • tokmoh. on May 22, 2015 at 3:56 pm

      I think those people need 12-seater Grand Starex.

      Or family planning.

      Tak mampu ada anak, jangan ada anak.

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      • normal_user on May 22, 2015 at 4:48 pm

        Anak tu kan rezeki…

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        • kzm buda bodo (Member) on May 22, 2015 at 6:44 pm

          ha ha ha. That is why most kampung people having 5 kids now. But family income is RM1500 per month.

          All say dapat anak rezeki

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        • tokmoh. on May 24, 2015 at 10:14 pm

          Jangan guna agama untuk lindung kebodohan dan kecuaian.

          Anak itu amanah Tuhan. Kalau jaga anak acuh tak acuh, tak kisah keselamatan dan malas tak nak berusaha memperbaiki diri sebagai ibu bapa yang lebih bertanggung jawab, lagi dosa besar dan pandai2 la jawab Tuhan di Padang Mahsyar kelak.

          Buang ego, belajar dari orang Barat apa erti kasih sayang, cara jaga keselamatan anak2, pendidikan, dan lain2. Dalam blog paultan ni pun banyak boleh belajar juga, jadi tak ada alasan tak boleh tahu.

          Tunggu anak terpelanting, kepala pecah, badan dah terkujur tak bernyawa, atau terencat hilang tangan, kaki, penglihatan, lumpuh, semua jenis tragedi boleh elak/kurang jika menggunakan kerusi, tali pinggang, baru nak menyesal, nangis air mata darah pun tak guna. Dah tak leh buat apape kecuali kata “takdir Tuhan, ujian Tuhan”. Patutkah macam itu?

          Tuhan tak suruh jadi bodoh sombong, cuai, malas tak nak berusaha, senang2 kata “buat apa pakai kerusi, hidup ajal tangan Tuhan. kalau Tuhan nak kita mati, duduk rumah pun boleh mati, bawa Volvo kereta kebal pun boleh mati. Buat susah je pun kerusi, sempit tak muat, anak tak suka, meraung bising”.

          Tuhan suruh jaga anak tu sebaik-baiknya dan berusaha sebelum berserah kepada-Nya. Tak jaga, langgar amanah Tuhan, dosa lagi besar. Saman polis takut, apasal tak takut pecah amanah Tuhan pula? Kenapa tak boleh utamakan keselamatan macamana kita utamakan solat tak tinggal, puasa tak tinggal, zakat tak kurang, aurat tak dedah?

          Duit ada, guna tayar 17″, 18″, 19″ boleh, ekzos trumpet kuat boleh, lampu putih terang nak saing stadium boleh, turbo besar laut boleh, kerusi bayi Tesco tak lebih RM150 tak boleh?

          Kalau tak tahu camana jaga anak sebaik mungkin, “Iqra”, bacalah. Bacalah artikel paultan berbuih mulut suruh guna kerusi, pakai tali pinggang, utamakan keselamatan. Wassalam.

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      • zaim on May 22, 2015 at 5:26 pm

        ko rasa ko power lagi dari tuhan ke ape?

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      • Sedih on May 22, 2015 at 5:55 pm

        Tunggu tua nak mati, dah ada duit baru boleh beranak la? Orang kaya boleh buat anak suka2 hati, orang miskin tak boleh ada anak?

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        • Dan on May 22, 2015 at 9:01 pm

          Honestly yea.. Poor people should rethink their position that are they suitable to have a child knowing the cost of raising a kid aint cheap. Try to think in a practical way. Currently even rich people only have 1-3 kids so whats up with those who makes less than 1000 bucks a month riding a motorcycle with a wife and 4 kids??

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        • tokmoh. on May 24, 2015 at 10:17 pm

          Mampu tak semestinya dari segi kewangan sahaja.

          Dari segi ilmu, iman, kematangan berfikir, cukup tak?

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  • weee on May 22, 2015 at 3:24 pm

    seatbelts for rear passengers has been compulsory since 2009 yet many Malaysians still ignore it. It’s pointless unless the traffic police actually enforce it.

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  • gaviny on May 22, 2015 at 4:11 pm

    Enforcement is the last part of any campaign, while good, this is the terbalik way of doing it, hence it will never work.

    First there must be education of why child seats are important

    Then child seats must be accessible to the masses, only then do you enforce rulings.

    Imagine if airbags were a paying option but it’s the law to have them. Die lah we all, better walk like that

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  • jasjos on May 22, 2015 at 4:25 pm

    We don’t need law for child seat. It is the choice of parents. We should have more awareness videos on TV to educate the public about belting up in cars and using child seats. Unfortunately, child seats are expensive for a lot of household. If they can barely put food on the table, how do we expect them to spend on child seats. The health ministry can consider giving away child seats in gov hospitals when babies are delivered. Mass orders long term might bring down the cost. Tax exemption could help.

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    • VHL Lorr on May 23, 2015 at 12:35 pm

      Or perhaps, car dealers or salesperson could offer free child seats as one of their free gifts when buying their new cars (but sadly, most prefer to give tinted voucher which sometimes we don’t like since it’s limited to one particular brand only, somemore if we want to do window tint also we can choose our preferable brand without the tinted voucher offered by salesperson)

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  • john on May 22, 2015 at 4:29 pm

    Next who to supply? Jeng…jeng…jeng! Another petition to force Gov to give.
    Okay-lah. If can give helmet why not baby seat. So issue contract to supply baby seat. Since require so many, get from 1 supplier, bulk pricing got discount.
    Then PR find out and ask why use 1 sole supplier. Kantoi!
    Kena hentam, crony-lah, songlap-lah, connection-lah, this datuk that datuk.
    In the end Gov kena bash for wat and lose votes. Maybe oso lose election.
    The End.
    Tenkiu for following Conspiracy Story.

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    • Kelvin on May 22, 2015 at 6:46 pm

      Don’t need to be a crony contract.
      Let any company import child seat or make child seats zero tariff.

      Let market competition determine the price.

      Public needs to be educated on the safety standards of child restraints. That’s all.

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      • john on May 22, 2015 at 9:10 pm

        Even when people can afford better cars, they still hesitant to buy baby seats (pajero accident case in point). I doubt if its slightly cheaper, these people will go in droves to get them.
        Everybody expects free handouts frm Gov. Dun think a PSA on TV, papers would satisfy them. I mean, its basic sense to protect their children, yet they still dun wanna buy. Go figure

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  • Kent on May 22, 2015 at 4:34 pm

    Paul, What does PSA (in the title) stands for?

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  • normal_user on May 22, 2015 at 4:47 pm

    How about petition for reducing or abolishing those sky-high duties and non-tariff barriers?

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  • frossonice on May 22, 2015 at 6:10 pm

    Here’s one solution.

    Car companies like Proton, Perodua, Honda, Merc and all could at least give one free child seat for each car bought. Ala… RM200 – RM300 quite cheap la for them to give incentive for potential car buyers. They can paste their own logo at seat if they want.

    I’m sure car companies can sacrifices some profit for the benefit of the public (except for Perodua maybe. :P )

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    • kadajawi (Member) on May 23, 2015 at 5:36 am

      Give free, people still don’t use. Many people drive around in RM 80k cars. 150k. 200k. Can’t afford RM 200-300? Really? Every day eat dry rice, is it?

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    • Ganeson on May 23, 2015 at 2:58 pm

      If VW’s Volvo’s etc. Can integrate childseats in their rear seats, so can Proton and Perodua. BOLEH.

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      • kadajawi (Member) on May 24, 2015 at 12:51 am

        Those are usually only for MPVs (maybe Exora can do it?), but I see it less and less (maybe because people want seats that are very flexible, and you can’t do both). Also only kids that are old enough can use it.

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  • Kelvin on May 22, 2015 at 6:44 pm

    Instead of giving BR1M, give a car seat to every child.

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  • droll on May 22, 2015 at 7:10 pm

    btw, what’s the age group for children that needs to be in child seats? < 7 years old?

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    • kadajawi (Member) on May 23, 2015 at 5:39 am

      It’s more after size. I think like from 4 or 5 onwards a child seat booster is enough, to enable them to use the seatbelt in a comfortable enough way. IIRC I used a child seat until I was 12 or 13. Can’t remember what I was in when I was a child. Actually those boosters are great, you can see out of the window as a child. Not so boring.

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  • Head Hunter on May 22, 2015 at 7:46 pm

    Tell that to the people in the interior, do you think they can afford it? Those using old, cars with no belts, let alone ISOFIX? Having triplets? Having kids at short intervals 1 year to 2 years? Taxis? Vans? Buses? Optional yes, but compulsory, please think again.

    You have space to think about,

    You have cost to bear, smaller and older cars have none of this.

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  • Middle Age Driver (Member) on May 22, 2015 at 7:51 pm

    This is a waste of time. People who are concern of safety would be using child seat. If the authorities are really concern of child safety, should ban children travel on motorbikes first. There are more fatal bike accidents than child die from car accidents.

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