Ministry to relook Hire Purchase Act implementation

SHAH ALAM: Minister of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob today said the ministry would relook certain aspects of the implementation of the Hire Purchase Act (Amendment 2010), which came into effect last month.

Among the issues which could be reviewed was the requirement of the selling
party of a used vehicle to pay RM90 for the vehicle inspection imposed by
Puspakom Sdn Bhd before the vehicle could be sold, he told reporters after

witnessing the handing over of tithes to students from Selangor by Bank Rakyat
here.

Earlier press reports had alleged there were parties who said the inspection
carried out by Puspakom on four areas to ensure a car was not stolen or welded
together previously was adequate and that the additional 14 areas of inspection

on safety was burdensome to the seller.

However, Ismail Sabri said the ministry would be calling related parties
involved such as motor industry representatives before any decision was made.

He said the amendment to the Hire Purchase Act was to protect the interest

of consumers who had been taken advantage of by certain quarters in the past.

He said with the act, it was hoped that the transaction of selling and
buying used vehicles would be more transparent.

He said the government was always looking at ways to assist the people by
looking after their welfare like through the Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M) to
ensure they could obtain consumer goods at low prices with some as low as 40 per
cent as compared to the the market price.

Ismail said:"We cannot continue to fix the ceiling price for all goods as
if we do that, it would appear that Malaysia does not advocate free trade."

Apart from KR1Ms, the ministry also planned to supply to sundry shopkeepers
especially at apartments in the Klang Valley with the 1Malaysia branded goods to
be sold to the residents, he said. Ismail said that he would be meeting 113 shopkeepers to discuss the matter.

At the ceremony today, Ismail witnessed the handing over of tithes worth
RM888,000 to 8,880 students from 145 primary and 29 secondary schools in
Selangor presented by Bank Rakyat Managing Director Datuk Kamaruzaman Che Mat to
Selangor deputy education director Mahmud Karim. -- Bernama