GEORGE TOWN: The presence of foreign workers in our industries has been a crucial factor in driving economic growth and meeting the demands of various sectors, including the motor industry, says Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail's political secretary Johari Kassim.
Reading Saifuddin's speech, Johari said Saifuddin understood the importance of a well-regulated and transparent system for issuing work permits to foreign labour.
"As far as I know, currently, there are many foreign workers employed in the used car industry, mainly in cleaning and car washing services, as well as assisting used car dealers in vehicle repairs and other tasks.
"Foreign workers provide cheap labour and help meet the manpower needs of used car dealers.
"Therefore, the issue of a foreign worker shortage also affects the day-to-day operations of used car dealers.
"We are committed to streamlining and improving the permit application process to make it more efficient and user-friendly, while maintaining the necessary checks and balances," he said, quoting Saifuddin's speech text at the Federation Of Motor and Credit Companies Associations of Malaysia (FMCCAM) 45th anniversary celebration held on Saturday (May 27) at Berjaya Hotel, Penang.
He further highlighted the issue of preventing fraud in the buying and selling of used cars.
"The police will strengthen supervision and prevent fraud in the buying and selling of used cars to avoid tarnishing the reputation and perception of legitimate used car dealers.
"Victims who fall into scams related to buying and selling used cars are typically lured by advertisements on social media and online trading platforms offering vehicles at prices below the market value.
"On the issue regarding used car dealership licenses, it is known that currently in Malaysia, many used car dealerships rent a vacant lot and apply for a business license from the local government.
"Due to the numerous regulations imposed by the local government, it becomes difficult for these dealerships to obtain support from them.
"Consequently, without the support of the local government, the dealerships are unable to obtain a second-hand car license from the police as well.
"The ministry will pay attention to the situation and engage in inter-departmental dialogues, and have more discussions with relevant industries to understand the difficulties faced by used car dealerships.
"Efforts will be made to move towards simplifying the process of applying for a business license for used car dealerships," he said.
He said the ministry was committed to working closely with relevant authorities and industry stakeholders to ensure that the necessary permits and licenses for the sale of used cars are implemented and enforced in a fair and transparent manner," he said, before congratulation them on their celebration.
During the anniversary dinner, FMCCAM signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with CarSifu, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Star Media Group (SMG), to leverage on each other's offerings with the aim of giving consumers more options when it came to purchasing pre-owned cars.
The MoU was signed by SMG group chief executive officer Alex Yeow and FMCCAM honorary secretary general Khoo Kah Jin, with FMCCAM president Datuk Tony Khor and SMG senior general manager Chung Eng Lee signing as witnesses.
The signing ceremony was observed by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and Johari.
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