Tag Archives: ministry

NEWS

Vendor for EV plate number to be finalised – Ministry

THE development of special number plates for electric vehicles (EVs) is in its final stages, awaiting technical finalisation before the official launch.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the government is in the process of appointing a vendor to oversee the implementation.

“We are currently finalising the technical aspects. Once this is completed, we will promptly make the announcement,” he told reporters at a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signing between Batik Air and Kia on a new private terminal transfer service.

Loke emphasised that while the adoption of these plates will initially be voluntary, new EVs will be required to bear them as a mandatory measure.

“For existing EV owners, they will have the option to switch to the new plates,” he said.

Previously, the Transport Ministry announced that all EVs across the country will eventually be issued special number plates beginning with ‘EV’ followed by the registered number and so forth (e.g. EV1, EV2).

The ministry also said the road tax pricing structure for EVs would undergo a thorough review.

The government intends to align its policies with the goal of promoting EV adoption in Malaysia as part of its sustainability objectives.

The special number plates are also said to incorporate RFID technology as an additional feature.

No specific timeline was given when these initiatives will be implemented.

NEWS

Government considering ‘lemon law’ to protect car buyers

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The government is now in the early stages of reviewing and investigating the possibility of establishing a “lemon law,” said Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, Armizan Mohd Ali.

Photo: Malay Mail

Speaking to FMT, Armizan stated that Malaysia is actively addressing consumer protection issues related to damaged vehicles and analyzing international practices before adapting them for local use.

He commented on the demand by the Penang Consumers Association (CAP) for the introduction of a “lemon law,” which is a legal remedy for consumers who purchase faulty vehicles, whether new or old, that fail to meet specific quality and performance criteria within a specific period.

The United States, Singapore, South Korea, China, and the Philippines are among the countries that implement such laws.

However, Armizan mentioned that the Consumer Protection Act 1999, which is enforced in Malaysia, also protects consumers from faulty vehicles.

“The Act protects consumers in several ways related to faulty vehicles, even though it is not specifically a ‘lemon law’ and does not offer specific remedies such as repurchasing a car that cannot be repaired. It provides various provisions that can be used to address faulty vehicle issues.”

Recently, there have been two reports of newly purchased vehicles breaking down, which have been widely shared on social media.

A clerk, S Nagakanni, reported that her new Perodua Bezza broke down eight hours after purchase, and she had to continue paying the monthly loan of RM537, even though the car was stranded at the service center.

Noriya Mamat from Terengganu also stated that her newly purchased Honda HR-V was stranded at the service center for months after sending it for servicing one month after the purchase upon reaching a mileage of 1,000km. She mentioned that she had to make monthly payments of RM1,500 for a car that she couldn’t drive at all.

NEWS

Pilot project to test diesel subsidy card system, petrol firms’ fleet card next month – KPDN

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A pilot project to test the MySubsidi Diesel system of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) and the Fleet Card system of petrol companies through six selected goods transport companies will be implemented with effect from February 1.

Its minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the implementation of the pilot project was for the expansion of granting subsidised diesel quotas to the land transport (goods) sector through the Subsidised Diesel Control System 2.0 (SKDS 2.0).

The six companies are Perceptive Logistic Sdn Bhd, Multimodal Freight Sdn Bhd, Mun Chuen Transport Sdn Bhd, Tan Swee Hee Sdn Bhd, Sim Yew Enterprise Sdn Bhd and Rantau Panjang Haulage Sdn Bhd which were selected after their Skid Tank quotas expire this month.

“An engagement session was held to give exposure to pilot companies and petrol companies about the guidelines to apply for quotas and reporting under MySubsidi Diesel System and the Fleet Card system,” he said during a press conference.

Earlier Armizan made a working visit to review the preparations of Syarikat Perceptive Logistics for the implementation of the pilot project in Port Klang.

He explained that SKDS is currently given through two channels, namely Skid Tank which involves manual application and processing and Fleet Card which uses the MySubsidi Diesel KPDN system.

“At this point, only the land transport sector (public) uses the Fleet Card channel while the goods transport sector (land), river passenger boats as well as ferries and boats to the main island still use the Skid Tank channel,” he said.

He said the use of Fleet Card can reduce the offence of misappropriation and smuggling of subsidised diesel since the system will be digitally monitored by KPDN and oil companies while Skid Tank only involves reporting by the companies involved.

“KPDN will continue to monitor the implementation of this pilot project and get feedback from the industry to ensure the effectiveness of the implementation of the system which is expected to be implemented in the second quarter of this year,” he said