The transport ministry has come to a consensus on the mandatory use of child seats, with the ruling set to come into effect by 2020. This is according to its minister Anthony Loke in a report by Malay Mail, who added that talks would be held with the finance ministry to make child seats exempt from the sales and services tax (SST) to make it more affordable for parents.
“The MKJR (Road Safety Council) has discussed the importance of child seats at length today and the government has decided that its usage will be made mandatory by 2020,” Loke told reporters after chairing the 59th annual general meeting of the MKJR, which comprises various government agencies and departments.
Previously, the ruling on the mandatory use of child seats was supposed to be introduced in 2019, but was postponed indefinitely as it was the announcement made by the previous government. With Loke’s latest declaration, it is clear that the implementation of the child seat ruling is back on track but he did not disclose what would happen to those who did not comply with the ruling.
The transport minister also added that the government will hold awareness campaigns from 2019 to educate the public about the importance of child seats. Also, aside from tax breaks for child seats, the government will also look at other ways to make child seats cheaper, including cutting import duties or providing tax incentives.
We at paultan.org strongly believe that under no condition should a child (or any individual for that matter) ever be left unsecured in a moving vehicle. Kids who weigh under 25 kg (weight is a more accurate measure than age) must be placed in a child seat (Group 0+, 1 and 2, fitted in a rear-facing position for as long a period as possible), and those under 36 kg should be secured with seat belts, together with either a booster seat or booster cushion (Group 3). These are absolute necessities, not optional.
It’s also crucial that they be seated in the back, and not at the front. This is to position your kids away from the front airbags in case an accident happens. You should only ever place a child seat or booster seat in the front if your car has a front passenger airbag off switch (not all cars come with this feature), but treat this as your last resort.
Of course, never hold your child on your lap when sitting in front, or worse, driving. Your arms alone won’t be enough in restraining your child in a collision, plus you would also be subjecting them to the full force of the deploying airbag. This could potentially cause the child a broken neck, a fractured skull and other severe injuries. Lest you forget, you too, will be in harm’s way.
There’s no guarantee that using a child seat would save a child’s life in the event of an accident, but the chances of survival are immensely higher, that’s for sure. So, let us all be a bit more proactive when it comes to the safety of our children, shall we? For a better insight into child safety seats, watch the video below.
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Same old
https://paultan.org/2015/07/13/child-car-seats-no-mandatory-use-by-2016-says-liow/
Why wait till 2020? Then in 2019, 1 whole year….so many deaths how?
Political parties may change but it is still the lembap, lazy and incompetent 1.6 million Government servants that are too lazy to implement anything fast
Everything do slow slow
Slow or fast. still cram in 15ppl in a sedan.
About damn time
Liow more cekap
No smoking in air con restaurants and schools
No smoking in kopitiams,mamak,eateries Jan 1,2019
Pakai rear seat belts
No littering
etc etc etc
But YB Anthony,how many cases of people not wearing rear seat belts been caught and prosecuted?
Stop wasting time and resources marketing fanciful vehicle number plates.
If u dont have a PRACTICAL and gunuine ENFORCEMENT,all of the above is just cakap cakap bola,talk 3 talk 4.
You r no different from mad max big ear Education dude who keep harping on black school shoes.
Just pathetic PH…we didnt vote in TALKERS.RAKYAT VOTED for DOERS…..ACTION…ACTION….PROSECUTION OF BANDITS.
From now till 2030,kids will still die,being thrown out of accident vehicles…cos no one cares for a damn to enforce regularly unannounced.
Fully agreed! Abolish Car AP & Taxi sindiket. Then we talk
see who the majority in pdrm and jpj always taking duit kopi, then you will understand why got no enforcement
but john, you did not vote for PH what, so why you making noise?
good one…lolz
evry1 wrong except john and own tribe…lolz
John? Are you sure up there is John? Aren’t your nick is John? So are you referring to yourself?
Our cops cannot even enforce bikes using the Federal Highway instead of using their bike lane.
Everyday hundreds of accidents on federal highway.
you expect them to enforce baby seats?
You cannot cure 60 yrs of corruption in 5 months. You need time
What nonsense are you blabbering about, everything also blame other people. This is safety of your child. If you need government to enforce something before people can realise the importance than maybe something wrong with you already. Dont show your stupidity in front of public, look at the mirror and see where u can help out. Sorry but i will call u an idiot this time
How about rear seat belt?
Hot about turn signal?
A very good move, long overdue.
I applaud the govt’s focus on safety by introducing a law requiring car seat to be used for children. However, the cost for child seat currently is exorbitant especially for large family. It would be better if Customs Excise tax and Sales & Service tax could be abolished to make it more affordable
Child seat use to be? Or child seat to be mandatory.
Sorry, a bit confuse here
Oh my england..
Child seat USE to be mandatory. Because if you can make just the child seat mandatory, but that just means the car must have a child seat and the child can still jump around the car while the child seat is uselessly taking up space. By making its USE mandatory, all children *MUST USE* child seats.
One year later than BN gomen. So under PH we risk children safety and their lives for another year more? Why can’t they stick to the plan and implement it by 2019?
Just enforce usage of child seat and rear seat belts as a driver and no need to wait for mandatory enforcement by gov. My personal thought, education and awareness are always better than enforcement.
Why does it have to be until 2020? Human lives are something that has to be deliberated for 2 more years?
How hard is it to make it mandatory YESTERDAY?
The biggest danger to all road users would be “the nut behind the steering wheel”
I think a lot of families won’t be able to afford car seats for all their children, not to mention be able to fit all of them in their cars even if they are given free child seats. Don’t get me wrong, I put all my three kids in car seats, but car is the main mode of transport in Malaysia. While I am sitting comfortably in my car with the Aircon on and a roof to keep myself dry, I see parents ferrying their kids on motorcycles even on rainy days, not because they wish to, but more like they don’t have a choice as they are not financially capable of owning a car, and they cannot depend on our world class public transport. A lot of household with more than 5 in the family only owns a 5 seater. How are all of them going to fit in the car?
Sure, some say “they can own iPhone but cannot buy child seat”, “can modify car but cannot buy child seats”. But it’s their choice as parents. It’s not like smoking where non smokers can get second hand smoke. Their choice doesn’t affect you. So why are so many ppl getting so upset when when ppl they don’t know don’t put their kids in child seats? I wear a seat belt and put my kids in child seats because it’s the safest thing to do while travelling in a car, same as I buy a car with good safety features and get it serviced on time and get good quality tyres, because it’s my choice and not because it’s mandatory by law.
I agree on the first paragraph but not on the second.
It is a start. We would not know if we do not try.
On the second paragraph, you mention the word choice.
It’s the parents choice right?
But, what about the children’s choice to be safe all the time?
We as an adult should be the one protecting the children when they cannot make the decisions themselves.
I am very sure, if they were matured enough to think and talk at age of two for example, they would request to sit in a car seat.
It will take time. Same goes to implementation of front passenger belt during our parents time.
But as I said, it is a start. And it is a good start.
Educating the parents are more important than enforcement in my opinion.
Is JPJ following these criteria?
Kids who weigh under 25 kg (weight is a more accurate measure than age) must be placed in a child seat (Group 0+, 1 and 2, fitted in a rear-facing position for as long a period as possible), and those under 36 kg should be secured with seat belts, together with either a booster seat or booster cushion (Group 3).