The authorities will now take action against workshop operators that fail to display the names and certification of their mechanics following the end of a one-year grace period, The Star reports.
According to domestic trade and cost of living ministry enforcement director-general Datuk Azman Adam, workshop operators have been given sufficient time to comply with this ruling. He added that the penalty for not complying, under the Consumer Protection Act 1999 (Act 599) is a RM100,000 fine for companies and a RM50,000 fine for individuals, or a three-year jail term, if found guilty.
“For now, the workshops inspected by the ministry’s enforcement unit will be advised to comply with the rule. We will monitor this from time to time. Failure to comply will result in a penalty,” said Azman.
The Consumer Protection (Workshops Information Disclosure) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 was gazetted on June 22, 2022, with enforcement set to begin on July 1 the same year. However, after a series of engagements with industry players, it was postponed for a year to July 1, 2023 to allow those affected to prepare for the changes.
The move is said to encourage workshop owners to either hire qualified mechanics or help their mechanics to obtain proper qualifications. Consumers will also benefit in terms of transparency as they will be able to ensure the services obtained from workshops are in line with the prices.
“The Consumer Protection (Workshops Information Disclosure) (Amendment) Regulations 2022 not only encourages workshops to hire or upskill their mechanics, but also ensures consumers have access to qualified mechanics. Indirectly, this increases the quality of services provided alongside boosting business productivity,” Azman explained.
Aside from displaying the names and qualification of the mechanics employed, workshop operators must also clearly state whether spare parts offered are new, used or restored; provide a written document on whether there is any guarantee for spare parts used; as well as state whether there is a guarantee for the repair jobs carried out by the workshop.
Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) chairman Prof Dr Wong Shaw Voon told The Star the move ensures accountability from workshops. “If the workshop doesn’t do a proper job, at least there will be a mechanism and channel for people to take action. It’s also important for a proper job to be done to avoid anything tragic from happening, which can result in loss of property or life,” he said.
“In the past, people may have had to depend on referrals to know which mechanics were capable of the repairs or jobs needed, regardless whether they had the certification or not. They would be worried about how safe their vehicles were in terms of maintenance and preparedness following work done on them. Having certified and qualified mechanics inspires confidence among vehicle owners and assures them of the competency of those working on their vehicles,” he added.
The need for workshops to inform customers on the type of spare parts used is also important, Wong pointed out. “Whatever spare part is put in must be recorded. If it is used, they must be charged accordingly and not as a new item. It’s not that a used spare part cannot be used, but it’s not fair for consumers to pay for it as if it were brand new,” he said.
If you’ve brought your vehicle to a workshop for repairs or maintenance, has the operator complied with the new ruling? Share your experience with us in the comments below.
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What the hell. I wish KPDNHEP look at other issue la. For e.g. Workshop and Insurance company is compulsary to consult customer before any repair work for accident claims done, and HIDING repair bills, false repair declaration on repair works, if found guilty can be sent to jail. For so long customers being duped by adjuster and workshop panels. Causing car insurance premiums hiking each year.
its to detect PATI, price rigging and insurance scam
Good idea…
yes you are right. my honda city was accident orang langgar belakang, bumper kemek sikit je, then claim HIP honda, honda workshop kaw-kaw want to charge rm40,000. then etiqa adjuster can give maximum rm17,000. so it 17k for bumper honda city. oh ya, including labor rm5000.
Kesian honda city miskin jadi more miskin
No more cap ayam mechanics.
Ha ha ha, sometimes , cap ayam mechanics are even better than present day mechanics when it comes to repair older versions of vehicles.
Finally, good move as nowadays there are a lot of self-claim gurus, sifu, and specialist.
Including Paultan?
hope the ministry enforcement teams also raid those workshop operated without license from PBT etc.. there’re a lot of them….
Oopsie all those immigrants mechanics are shaking.
does it mean those old workshop owner that dont have any certification but ady in the buisness for more than 20 years they need to close down their work shop?
Great idea but hard to implement, should start with commercial vehicles workshop first as it is the bigger contributor to serious vehicle accidents and on the road breakdowns stalling traffic , then onward to private vehicles, don’t bite off more than you can chew .
Actually many conti workshops opened recent years semua xde qualifications one. They all starting as car owner, DIY repairing, helping members to DIY, then becoming a workshop. Then they proclaim themselves “EXPERT” and hire even more cheap labour that doesn’t know much
Finally there are laws!
Many smoke while doing their jobs, dirty the interior like the seats, display a lackadaisical attitude and lack manners.
pun apa guna?
most still overfill engine oil.
Name Ah Kow @ Bengkel Kereta RIP
Qualification experience cuci spark plug 2 tahun.
Spare Part ada 3 macam satu ori satu lagi recon, satu lagi OEM, tak jual sparepart celup.
Warranty pakai tengok satu dua hari.
Scan tool tak pakai agak agak boleh bikin punya.
Display price list for common job like oil change , tyre alignment etc
Sounds very nice…..
Enforcement is very selective in this country…needs transparency and easy accesibility by the consumer….another revenue option for enforcers?
Choosing one’s workshop or mechanics for repairs or maintainence is very personal for most motorists. They go to the workshops they are comfortable, immaterial of whether the mechanics have paper qualifications or not. Usually the mechanics will ask their customers the choice of spareparts they need.. While I agree there should be legislation as mandated now there must be leeway given to small workshops that are owner operated who have working experience but no certificates to show. They are important to be maintained to ensure enough supply to meet the demands of motorists. Over time such workshops will be phased out unless they change.
It is good now a workshop must have a certified and qualified mechanics to maintain and repair motor vehicles. It is equally good for motorists to know the types of spare parts used whether they share reconditioned, remanufactured or imitation parts. The same rules should apply to those who operate car accessory, air condition and tyre shop operators.
Btw, customer was the one who chose the wokshop and the mechanic,so choose wisely.
Lepas ni enforcement officer mesti tak sabar² nk melawat wokshop..boss dah buka job sideincome baru ngeee
Steven Chan
Need goverment to look into the standardize the labour cost charge as well. Very high price labour charge high sky.
This will ensure safety and value for your money and will also put a full stop on con practice. Recently i went to a aircond shop in Balakong and the owner said ac fan blower is spoil and need to buy new one. He said you buy china one will cost RM275, Korea 295, API Malaysia made 345 and Hyundai Ori 375. I paid for original via my debit card but i was surprised to see that he fix a local component which has no brand or origin name. And on top of that he started lecturing me that Hyundai Ori doea not mean Hyundai written on box. I said “Jangan Tipu” i know what ori means and how their materials are packed because i am using Hyundai since last 14yrs.
He shamelessly refuse to return balance amount.. These law will end such con practice, provided enforcement remain honest…
All town council charging hefty assessment rates must also print all special service charge they need to incure to carry out the service
It is unfair to use property rental to calculate. This is service for community, not yo be treated as tax to house unit owners.
All town council charging hefty assessment rates must also print all special service charge they need to incure to carry out the service
It is unfair to use property rental to calculate. This is service for community, not yo be treated as tax to house unit owners.
A certified mechanic does not necessarily mean a capable mechanic. Though, this is a step towards the right direction.
Fake branded engine oil, oil filter and air filter are the most common cheat jobs, causing engine damage and huge losses to car owners.
What action do the government and MIROS have to tackle these fake brand factories operating locally and also stop these fake China made parts ?
This’s good. Most of the workshop owners is definitely to INCREASE the spare parts they ordered from the distributor at least 30-150% depending on car brands or parts limitation or demand and supply excluding labour cost. Importantly, the government should look into house cum workshop. What irked most proper workshop are those customers who wanted it cheap and are willing to go to these unworthy workshop. Resulted proper workshop had to pick up those damages done as a resulted from unqualified, mechanic, no proper tools or claiming original parts and etc. Wouldn’t this resulted customer paying even more. It’s best get your own spare parts if you know & pay for their labour. Ofter many will realised a drastic increased in labour cost.
More important than mechanics name is pricing of food in eateries. Most restorants do not display the prices of food ad required by law. What is being done about it.
Experience mechanic sometime don’t have qualifications. It will be tough for those older mechanics.
The fine is quite high. Crazy run into RM 50,000 to RM 100,000.
Qualification means with certificate or diploma from a recognised institutions.
What if someone who has undergone practical “repair jobs” over the years at a workshop or at other workshops.
Will he be listed as under qualified status ?
must made compulsory for service centre as we paid higher than normal workshop.
Good to eliminate many unskill, foreigner without permit, no license workshop, and unmanner employer. If you are skill and have experience, there should be no problem for you to take a certification. And train your mechanics to be more skillful and knowledgeable.
Treat it as professional business, like accounting and other businesses too.
If you do expect your employer to send you for training to upgrade your skill. Why not you also expect someone knowledgeable and skill mechanics to handle your car. Anyway you pay for it too.