KUALA LUMPUR: The Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry is studying the implementation of a "right to repair" concept that will empower consumers to access vehicle technical information from the manufacturer.
Its Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Fuziah Salleh said the initiative would not only give vehicle owners the freedom to choose their preferred workshop but also ensure easy access to necessary technical information.
"During the warranty period, owners are encouraged them to go to authorised workshops because the warranty could be voided otherwise.
"However, when the warranty period ends, consumers have the option to choose other workshops," she said when responding to a question from Senator Tan Sri Low Kian Chuan on the government's proposal to introduce a "right to repair" framework to enable local workshops to access technical information, spare parts and equipment needed for vehicle maintenance and repair.
"Currently, our country does not yet have the authority to access this information. However, this matter is being considered in the context of consumer rights," she said.
Fuziah also said the ministry believes that it is time for a comprehensive study to be carried out to assess the need to create specific legislation on the right to repair, including the potential introduction of new regulations under the Consumer Protection Act 1999.
"We must balance the rights of manufacturers and also the rights of consumers to gain access to information that can be accessed," she said, adding this was the way forward but something not yet in the country's legal framework.
Fuziah said the ministry would also conduct a benchmark study on the right to repair models implemented in Europe, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the United States to identify best practices based on the legal framework, consumer maturity and respective industry ecosystems.
This is to ensure that any approach adopted in Malaysia could increase the competitiveness of the local workshop industry through sharing technical information, without neglecting safety factors, intellectual property rights and the interests of all parties involved. – Bernama
