According to a report by Bernama, workshop operators in Malaysia must display a list containing the names of mechanics working and their qualifications. This is to help consumers obtain proper information to select workshops with qualified mechanics.
Domestic trade and cost of living minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub said the requirement was one of several improvements contained in the Consumer Protection (Workshops Information Disclosure) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 that was implemented nationwide on July 1 this year. The move is said to encourage workshop owners to either hire qualified mechanics or help their mechanics to obtain proper qualifications.
“Operators also need to clearly state the category of spare parts being used, whether they are new, used or reconditioned to ensure consumers know what is being used to repair or modify their vehicle,” Salahuddin said.
Enforcement of the amendment, which was gazetted on June 22, 2022 after a series of discussions with industry players, was postponed for a year from July 1, 2022 to July 1, 2023 to allow those affected to prepare for the changes, he said.
“The postponement period for the enforcement of the Consumer Protection (Workshops Information Disclosure) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 ended on June 30, 2023 and it is in full effect nationwide as of July 1, 2023. Action can be taken for any breach of the regulations as stipulated under the Consumer Protection Act 1999 (Act 599),” he added.
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Good move. But in the interest of fairness to all parties, the government should also make it mandatory for customers to declare, in writing, all the modifications they have done to the vehicle, using parts from which online vendor, installed by which DIY friend, BEFORE driving into the licensed workshop.
You mechanics are a bunch of con artist, you want customers to get DIY etc but all these times you mechanic’s never give quotation or what series of parts and put sub standard parts and bang the customers. How about you furnish the simple list and then ask the relevant questions. I never saw a single mechanic online has a decent rating and if decent always price on the high side with all sort of excuses even for simple thing you bang customers! You are millionaires out of conning customers. Let that sink into your head in the first place! You’re bang customers with exorbitant prices are over!
Madani must show they are different than the past admin. I was cheated twice when I sent my Wira car for a repair back to a workshop in Taman Melawati back in 2001. I was young and naive. Never trust any 3rd party workshop unless it operated by car companies.
My mistake was to leave the car trusting the words from the mechanic. The stigma of China-man workshop cheating is traumatizing me till today. I was cheated:
1. Distributor (engine could not start). I was charged new part (but recond part was used) when the other mechanic inspected the same problem came back after 2 years and informed me about it.
2. I was informed that the Control board was having trouble and component to be replaced. The shop conned me RM3000.
The dishonest shop won’t survive on cheating customers. It was closed later on.
Bengkel bawah pokok need not apply. If you want honest professional service go back to using Approved Service Centers, but then don’t come crying about cutthroat prices. Learn to service by yourself if want to kiamsiap. In Europe, people service their own cars after warranty ends.
It is a very common thing to do in America. People either buy 3rd party parts (many shops selling those, just like along Jln Ipoh back in the 60s and 70s) or pull parts from wrecked cars in salvage yards. Think of USD 175 an hour for labour + very high price of parts + at least 10% sales tax on top (prices much higher in California and New York).
Frankly, even first party service centers also difficult to trust these days. Recently an acquaintance sent his car for routine servicing and his dashcam’s parking mode recorded no work at all. They drove it in and walked away. Didn’t even open the bonnet. Then came back 45 minutes later and closed the bonnet and drove it back to waiting area. Invoice said oil and filter along with other stuff.
I totally agree. I bought a used car (Honda CRZ) and the first thing I wanted to do was take it to the Honda deaaler-ship for a full service and safety check. They took 3 hours charged for a long list of things but in reality all they did was change the engine oil. Two months later, the gearbox seized because no oil. Caused by the Honda service shop not doing the CVT oil change. That is now at Tribunal.
What is even more shocking is that these workshops are quite literally playing with people’s lives. Not doing the required maintenance on a vehicle is dangerous, causes accidents and claims lives. Being cheated out of a bit of money is annoying but the attitude of some workshops that it is OK to potentially kill a family for that money is absolutely shocking. Even worse, is that from my own experience, this that it has become the “normal” operating procedure in most workshops.
I wonder how many road accidents are actually caused by workshops failing to do work or by replacing parts with sub-standard ones.
Hope the repairs cost will go down as well.
Of course not, Mechanic with qualification cert salary higher than experience mechanic.
This is a very good start…the tricky part is enforcement. An idea is only as good as it looks on paper without proper enforcement.
just like how shop owners put a chair to book the parking without any consequences.
those flunky junky mechanics cannot cari makan already.
its for the sake of the people, particularly those who know nothing about car maintenance. no one forced those dodgy mechanics to tipu org but they did it…..
How would qualifications indicate the person’s ethic?
Besides, if a shop lists a Mechanic graduated from MIT, who is responsible to verify?
My Sri Gombak workshop..the boss has 20 years experience,but altho this China apek has no diploma, he wont cheat.
Lately,his intern who has automotive degree came back,to work full time with him as full fledged mechanic.
It will boost the image of the workshop,but important thing is the boss wont resort to cheating.
70% of the workshops employ “scare tactics” to frighten naive customers to replace parts that still can pakai.
It is important that consumers have a basic knowledge of car maintenance,n not let the mechanics dictate by using scare tactics.
Enforcement wise, we hope it is not an exercise to collect ‘duit kopi” but educating the workshop bosses to get mechanics with paper quali besides experience.
That would mean 95% of third-party workshops in Malaysia will need to shut down, and Youtube channels like Galeri Kereta will soon run out of material to cover.
But knowing the enforcement standards in Malaysia, chances are all these workshops will remain open but the enforcement agencies’ officers get duit raya all year round.
Pessimism will not solve any issue.
The public is the eye of the enforcement agency. If you see any suspicious breach of conduct, exercise your right and launch a complain.
Yes those tauke loves to give rasuah one
By logic that means 95% are doing nonsense jobs
Kudos Madani…
The government is promoting work ethics and integrity in every aspect including the private sectors.
It is also to promote upskilling of their mechanics, proper certification. Also in conjunction with the launch of TVET and encourage the private sector to promote apprenticeship to our younger generations.
enforcement will be on licensed workshop whilst illegal workshops will continue their shenanigans ..
and cost naik also
I expect this will be another kencing mahaldahni. Rhetorics , talk is cheap
Nowadays, you can see tyres and rims in the shop.
Other parts are order from spare part shop immediately as needed. These are latest general practices. Save safe and cost. Check 1st before coming up with new rules.
There are times these mechanics replaced the cars parts without informing the client …when it’s time to pay, the cashier would explained what’s have been done at their workshop. ..
Cuci spark plug is consider experience in this country, damage my log nut using power tool all pretend they know what they doing. So many time I tell them what is wrong when they wrong diagnose and don’t know how to using scan tools. Change my absorber to hard type without asking me now car hard bounce and insist it is better.
Do the workers building high rise buildings have certificates?
Do the workers building our highways have proper certificates?
Do the ministers have proper political certificates?
DO the people repairing computers & handphones have proper certificates?
Guess this is a never ending argument.
Most mechanics are self trained with years of experience. Hobby which turns into a job, so to say. It is up to car owners to choose which mechanics they trust & are comfortable with.
This is probably a way for small colleges/technical schools to sell certificates.
There are so many other things which the minister should be busy with. Don’t always talk to the big industrial people when want to implement any rulings. The SME’s are the ones you should think more for as big players are already comfortable with life & economy.Why disturb peoples rice bowl (income)
Absolutely right There should be more stringent regulations on workshop and nechanics
Good intention but bad execution. Certificate/qualifications doesn’t instantly means they’re better. Same with teacher these days in school. But that’s a topic for another day. I’m a mechanic myself. Working in family business with my father. He have been working as mechanic for 26 years, he used to workin the army as a mechanic before he leave and start his own business. He got no “qualifications/certificate” that people will count as valid today. And I admit a lot of customer still don’t want to trust him and instead trust those “Chinese mechanic”, note I’m not being racist but they think Chinese instantly means better. When we melayu with melayu. But dont trust us. But then kena tipu come running to use for US to cuci bekas taik their job that didn’t fix anything and they wine to us they already spend this that ammount and didn’t solve the issue? Yeah no. Instead why not just test each workshop and their staff I’d they can do their job or not.