KPDN To Focus On Lemon Law, E-commerce Act Reforms This Year - Armizan

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 21 (Bernama) -- The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) will draft and amend several key laws this year to bolster consumer protection, said Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali.

He said this includes drafting provisions for a ‘Lemon Law’ under the Consumer Protection Act 1999 to establish procedures and dispute-resolution mechanisms for compensation claims involving new vehicle purchases.

“Actually, we already have relevant laws in place, but there are still loopholes that need to be addressed.

“This issue is important to ensure the most effective approach, including buy-in and industry support, as such, we will engage stakeholders and benchmark against best practices from other countries,” he told a press conference after delivering his New Year message to KPDN staff here today.

Armizan said the ministry will also draft or amend e-commerce laws to address rising consumer complaints and support a more sustainable and conducive e-commerce ecosystem.

“We are looking at the type of regulations needed to protect consumers, ensuring that goods purchased through e-commerce platforms meet the specified quality and quantity,” he said.

Armizan said these two initiatives are part of five clusters of KPDN’s legal and institutional reforms, which are targeted for tabling in Parliament this year.

He added that the ministry will also amend the Direct Sales and Anti-Pyramid Scheme Act 1993 to strengthen oversight of direct selling and high-risk investment schemes, protecting consumers from fraud and exploitation.

The ministry will also draft the Movable Property Security Interest Law to establish a registration system for security interests over movable property used as loan collateral.

Additionally, amendments to the Competition Act 2010 and the Competition Commission Act 2010 will empower the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) to better regulate and address cartels and monopolies in the market.

In the meantime, Armizan said KPDN’s focus this year is also to implement action plans that deliver direct benefits to the public.

He explained that this effort will be measured by three indicators: blueprint, footprint, and imprint.

This means that policies and plans (blueprints) will be implemented through initiatives, programmes, and enforcement (footprints), resulting in measurable outcomes (imprints) such as performance indicators, price stability, and public participation.

“We have also decided to continue the directional framework introduced in 2024, which focuses on Enforcement Agility, Driving the Domestic Economy, Consumer Capability and Advocacy, and the National Action Council on Cost of Living (NACCOL).

“For 2026, the movement of this direction will be shifted by outlining the three indicators, namely blueprint, footprint, and imprint to ensure the people's aspirations are fulfilled,” he said.

-- BERNAMA