KUALA LUMPUR – ‘Consumer redress’ refers to the compensation or remedy provided to consumers by businesses for financial harm caused by unfair or deceptive business practices. In Malaysia, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) provides an online portal, known as the Consumer Redress Portal (CRP), for consumers to lodge their complaints.
Essentially, the CRP offers a simplified complaint process and acts as a platform for consumers to pursue redress for complaints they feel were not fairly resolved by service providers. The process involves reinvestigating these complaints to reach a resolution at both the industry forum and MCMC levels, ensuring that service providers adhere to relevant regulations.
The primary functions of the portal are to allow consumers to submit new complaints, seek complaint resolution, track complaint status, view their user dashboard and access redressal support.
Types of Complaints
Consumers can file complaints across various sectors, including telecommunications, postal and courier services, online content, broadcasting, and subsidiary matters. In the telecommunications sector, complaints can be submitted regarding services such as public cellular, Copper/DSL, Fibre, Wireless, Fixed Line, IP telephony, and public phone services. These complaints typically involve issues related to network quality, billing and charges, service delivery, terms and conditions disputes, service misrepresentation, pricing, mobile number portability, unfair practices, SMS services, and unlicensed providers.
In the postal and courier sector, consumers can report issues concerning consignment, parcel, and package delivery services, covering the receipt, processing, transportation, and delivery of postal items to their destinations.
For online content, consumers can lodge complaints about material that may violate Sections 211 and 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA98), particularly content that is indecent, obscene, false, menacing or offensive.
Broadcasting complaints can pertain to services or content, including the transmission of programs by private television or radio stations. Complaints about broadcasting services may address issues like billing, installation, coverage and content.
Subsidiary matters cover additional areas regulated by MCMC, such as the illegal installation of TVRO equipment, non-standard television devices, tower-related issues and signal interference. It also includes MCMC’s initiative programs like Pusat Ekonomi Digital Komuniti (PEDI), Check Your Label, and Mobile E-Waste.
Consumer Complaint Process
Consumers are required to first submit their complaints to the respective service provider. If the issue remains unresolved, they can then file a complaint through the CRP, where industry forums facilitate mediation between consumers and service providers to seek resolution. If there is any non-compliance in service delivery, the MCMC will step in to conduct an investigation.
Consumer Satisfaction Survey
The MCMC recently conducted a Consumer Satisfaction Survey on the CRP, from 9 September to 6 October 2024.3 The main goal was to evaluate consumer satisfaction with the user experience during the CRP account registration process.
It was conducted online, with MCMC selecting participants based on specific criteria using complaint data from its current system.4 Participants were encouraged to provide feedback to suggest improvements for enhancing the overall user experience of the portal.
In conclusion, the CRP plays a pivotal role in empowering Malaysian consumers to address grievances across multiple sectors, ensuring fair resolution and compliance with industry regulations. By providing an accessible platform for lodging complaints and facilitating mediation, the MCMC enhances consumer protection and service accountability. The recent Consumer Satisfaction Survey reflects MCMC’s commitment to continuous improvement, allowing users to shape a more efficient and user-friendly complaint process. Through these efforts, the CRP remains a vital tool for safeguarding consumer rights in Malaysia. – November 19, 2024