The Consumer Claims Tribunal in action

M. Mageswary told the Tribunal for Consumer Claims Malaysia that she was not seeking a refund of the RM150 she had paid for a non-functional TV receiver that she bought from a shop recently. She merely wanted her rights as a consumer to be respected.

She told the Tribunal that she bought the TV receiver from the shop in 2008 and found it could not work. She requested that the shop rectify the fault but the salesperson persuaded her to purchase a new TV receiver instead.

And so she did, only to discover that the newly purchased TV receiver was also non-functional. That’s when she decided to seek redress from the Tribunal.

The president of the Tribunal, Maznah Haron directed the shop owner to have the faulty TV receiver repaired within 14 days of the Tribunal’s directive.

In another case, a consultancy firm was ordered to refund the deposit paid by the claimant, Mahirah Yusof, for failing to fulfil its obligation to secure a housing loan for her as promised.

The Tribunal for Consumer Claims is an independent body established under Section 85, Part XII of the Consumer Protection Act 1999. The Tribunal operates under the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Co-operatives and Consumerism. The primary objective of the Tribunal is to provide an alternative forum for consumers to file claims in a simple, inexpensive and speedy manner.