Malaysia’s KPDN studies the Right to Repair concept to empower consumers with access to vehicle technical information from manufacturers.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) is studying the implementation of the Right to Repair concept to 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 the necessary technical information.
“During the warranty period, we encourage them to go to an authorised dealer workshop with permission because if not, the warranty will be void. However, after the warranty period, consumers do have the option to choose other workshops,” she said.
She said this 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.
Further commenting, Fuziah 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 to balance consumer rights and manufacturers’ intellectual property rights.
“We must balance the rights of manufacturers and also the rights of consumers to gain access to information that can be accessed on our vehicles. So that is the way forward that is currently not in the legal framework but is being studied by the ministry,” she said.
According to Fuziah, the ministry will also conduct a benchmark study on the Right to Repair model that has been implemented in several countries such as 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 step is to ensure that any approach that will be adopted in Malaysia is able to increase the competitiveness of the local workshop industry through the sharing of technical information, without neglecting safety factors, intellectual property rights and the interests of all parties involved.
