Domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry enforcement director Azman Adam said workshop operators must abide by the Consumer Protection (Workshops Information Disclosure) Regulations 2002 and Consumer Protection Act 1999.

He stressed that the ministry would increase monitoring of motor vehicle business premises, adding that those found taking advantage of the situation would be investigated under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering (Mechanism to Determine Unreasonably High Profit for Goods) Regulations 2018.

In a statement today, Azman said that throughout 2021, the ministry had conducted 570 checks on motor vehicle workshops, with 76 cases compounded a total of RM21,250.

“Consumers are advised to be careful by obtaining the written price quotations on the vehicle repairs from dealers,” he said, adding that consumers should obtain repair services at the relevant vehicle service centres if the vehicles were still under warranty.

For any complaints or information, the public can lodge a report to the ministry through WhatsApp at 019-279 4317, the complaints portal at e-aduan.kpdnhep.gov.my, Call Centre at 1-800-886-800, email [email protected] or the Ez ADU KPDNHEP mobile application.

Preventing car thefts

Meanwhile, home minister Hamzah Zainudin said police would mobilise their “Pasukan Cantas” to flood-hit areas to prevent the theft of vehicles damaged by floods.

“We will deploy this team and arrest those stealing vehicles of flood victims in all flood-affected areas,” he said after a police event in Putrajaya.

Hamzah said he had discussed the issue with Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani.

The Pasukan Cantas, comprising personnel of various ranks, is generally deployed to tackle specific cases.

Reports have gone viral on social media about vehicles stranded in the floods being stolen, including by people using tow trucks.