MCA president and ex-transport minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong has reiterated that there is a need to have essential safety components such as anti-lock braking (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC) in all new cars, even in a budget model like the 2023 Perodua Axia E, The Star reports.
Launched last week, the Axia E, which is based on the first-generation Axia is the national automaker’s cheapest offering. Priced at RM22,000, the base spec model does not come equipped with ESC or ABS. Following the launch of the model, Wee had questioned why this was so.
In a video posted on his Facebook page, the Ayer Hitam MP said the government had made it mandatory that ESC as well as ABS has to be included in all new cars, and the automaker could not use the reason that the car had met requirements based on its safety approval gained from testing under the old protocol in 2014, when ESC was not mandatory.
“Perodua should look beyond 2014, as car manufacturers have worked towards improving the safety features in vehicles tremendously since then. ABS was expensive then, but now, it has become cheaper with the advent of technology and is a must,” he said.
He said that in emergency situations, ESC and ABS could not only save the lives of the driver and passengers, but also limit the risk for pedestrians and other road users. “With these elements, the car will not swerve when the brakes are applied, and the driver can maintain control of the vehicle, which is very important,” he explained.
Buyers should look at safety features as an integral part of the vehicle and understand why the government had a good reason for making these features mandatory, he said.
“Visualise this, that if 20,000 units of this RM22,000 vehicle are sold per year, we would have about 100,000 such vehicles on the road in the next five years, posing a potential risk not only to the drivers, but to all road users. This is why we need to act now and not regret later,” he stated.
He added that he would support any proposals by the government to provide incentives or subsidies to car manufacturers to ensure essential safety features are in place.
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AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments generally support the importance of safety features like ABS and ESC in new cars, especially on budget models like the Perodua Axia E, with many criticizing Perodua for selling models without these features. Several viewers express disappointment that previous ministers, including Wee Ka Siong, did not enforce safety regulations earlier nor push for mandatory inclusion of ABS/ESC, which are now legally required for new vehicles. Some commenters stress that safety should be non-negotiable regardless of cost and highlight that even the cheapest European cars include these features. There’s debate over whether the government should have made these features mandatory sooner, with some calling for Perodua to include ABS in the Axia E or withdraw the model altogether. Overall, the tone is a mix of concern for safety, frustration at delayed action, and support for better safety standards.