The emergency call system will soon be implemented to ensure the safety of road users and to reduce response time when accidents occur, according to the transport ministry.
“The system will be activated automatically when a vehicle equipped with this system is involved in a serious accident where crash data will be sent to the Malaysian Emergency Response Services – or MERS 999 in the shortest possible time,” said transport minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
“At the same time, the system can also be manually activated via panic button for an emergency other than an accident where emergency alerts generated to MERS 999 will be routed to the relevant emergency agencies for assistance,” Liow added.
Data and information generated from the system will be used by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) for research and analysis in order to reduce accidents and deaths from road accidents, he continued. The e-call system could also act as a vehicle’s anti-theft device which can inform the vehicle owner via a registered phone number, in the event the vehicle is stolen.
The system will, for now, be implemented on a voluntary basis in order to iron out any hiccups prior to mandatory installation, said Liow, and said that there will be no additional cost to car owners for the installation of the e-call system as automakers will be required install the device in their vehicles.
No specific time frame was mentioned by the transport ministry for the system’s implementation, however the proposal was tipped to take place for all newly-registered vehicles from 2019, a move which the Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA) has called upon the government to defer.
When mentioned last July at an MAA briefing, the arrangement could lead to major complications should there be any issues arising with the single as-yet-unnamed Malaysian supplier, said MAA president Datuk Aishah Ahmad. Eventual car prices will go up with the implementation of the e-call devices, while regulations and device specifications have yet to be confirmed, she said at that point.
This also runs contrary to Liow’s claims that car owners won’t bear the cost of the additional device. The installation of said e-call devices can be very costly, driving up excise duty, import tax and GST which in turn increases costs and ultimately the on-the-road price if the device is installed at assembly and is then considered part of the vehicle, the MAA said.
To date, Russia is the only country known to have a similar setup in place – should this proposal receive the green light, Malaysia will be the second country globally to have emergency call devices installed in road-going vehicles. The MAA also recommended that the e-call service and devices not be made mandatory for new vehicles in Malaysia.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
From voluntary, soon becomes mandatory. Enough with blanket implementation that force adoption by the masses and then profit from a single crony. Still thinking of ways to increase govt coffer to patch up siphoned money?? After GST, then EIS to squeeze more money from workers, now this. What’s next? Some more, this e-call thing if installed to every car on the road, how do you manage the server traffic? Server crashes and then in 2 years time, like AES stop working and waste more public money. Stop all these stunts please.
Sembang gajah…. Study, study, study…
https://paultan.org/2017/10/30/study-for-vehicle-end-of-life-policy-at-final-stage-liow/
I can understand its purpose if an accident happens in a secluded, lonely road area or if the vehicle after the accident is difficult to spot like fell into a ditch, which is common in Russia especially during winter.
They’re better off proposing using helicopters to reach the victims faster (one of our former works minister has said this before) or use Facebook and WhatsApp to tag emergency services in the event of an accident.
And no additional costs to consumers? Seriously?
Meanwhile obsolete Batu Tiga tolls still not demolished. And they go yapping away~~
That is PLUS responsibility. So apa kena mengena?
drivers own responsibilities to slow down instead of speeding. ohwai.
Gov controls car acceleration pedal instead of driver.. oh wai
“The installation of said e-call devices can be very costly, driving up excise duty, import tax and GST which in turn increases costs and ultimately the on-the-road price if the device is installed at assembly and is then considered part of the vehicle, the MAA said.” – simple solution to cut car price when the system in mandatory, abolish the excise duty and import tax, just maintain GST. That one also need a professor to think?
Costly? Not really. U think these people will reduce the car price after the abolishment of those taxes, NOOO, they wont.. Instead they will keep the savings to themselves.. The only way you can reduce the car price is by not buying from the particular brand…
hell yes! totally agreed
Woo-hoo finally this feature will be ready for use here in Malaysia. The only maker here in Malaysia which has emergency call service built in into their cars is BMW as part of their ConnectedDrive services.
In the age of smartphones and the digitalising of vehicles is E-CALL still needed/relevant.
bruh, if someone met with an accident, which may affect access to smart phone, this system should take care. And this is part of digitalising (?) of vehicle per se. Don’t contradict yourself blindly.
on the other hand, i don’t think this will come at no cost to consumers. someone need to bear the cost, definitely not the supplier & i don’t think gov will and should subsidies from the coffer. end of the day, the otr price seems will include the cost + some mark up.
Singapore beat that by having CCTVs everywhere.
This E-call is basically like it’s name suggest a sub standard gps enabled handphone(probably not a smartphone) with a preset number to dail which gets activated the same way airbag gets activated in an accident. Wonder which telco dapat…
It’s a good call, just hope it’s not misused to spy on individuals. Maybe they should go one step further to offer ‘kawan’ that nags you when your vehicle starts to sway here and there when you are sleepy driving. If you ran red light, a police will be on the other line calling you and telling you about how to pay the saman.
I think this only works provided the car didn’t explode during the accident and the battery still functioning.
Hey wait… why not just implement to the commercial vehicles first! Like buses and trucks?
Every new implementation of something, u know who earn the most lah. Hehehe
As long safety > all, dun care about cost or who earns.
Nampak macam lurus bendul, tapi poket sudah penuh
Asal nyawa selamat duit boleh cari. So tak kesah belanja berapa.
Since Mr Liow said that there will be no additional cost to car owners for the installation of the e-call system, we as M’sian should say thank Q to Liow to show our appreciation.
Pipu oredy paid upfront, high car taxes + sarawak roadtax..
Apa la korang ni, nak implement benda bagus pun kena bash, EU will implement this mandatory starting March 2018
Diorang takmau kereta yg selamat…
patch the potholes firstla…
Tell that to local council and state gomen..
The warranties for some branded cars may go up to 3 or 4 years depending on the model.
Strict standards and excellence in service is what made Cullitons the premiere
limo service of choice for thousands of Torontonians as well as visiting guests
from all over the world. Listed here are some interesting facts about Mercedes-Benz.
Don’t you think making safety features like ABS, traction control etc. compulsory to prevent an accident is more important rather than having the this ecall thing to save someone after they’re in an accident is better?