The half-cut joint car menace has long been higlighted in Malaysia. The NCCC has been receiving countless complaints on this area and recently PUSPAKOM has reported that it receives approximately 20 cases on a daily basis on this issue. In the first quater on 2007 alone PUSPAKOM has detected 1200 half-cut joint vehicles nationwide.

With the rise of fatal accidents in Malaysia, this revelation by PUSPAKOM is indeed very worrying. The Road Transport Act 1987 specifically makes it illegal for these types of vehicles to be on the road, but it is indeed suprising to see that half-cut parts being openly displayed and sold in the yards of spare part dealers. It is indeed mind boggling on how such parts are allowed to be sold and whether the Road Transport Department is ever interested in attending to the issue. The Insurance companies do also play an important role in overcomming this problem. Registration cards of vehicles which has been clasified as total loss should be immediately cancelled. Currently vehicles under such clasification are auctioned off to the workshops at a minimum value. These workshops then repair such vehicles and put them back on the road by selling to unsuspecting customers at below market value. Motor Vehicle insurance companies should be more socially responsible and not just look at profits. Consentrated effort from all parties is required if Malaysia is ever to get rid of this half-cut joint car problem.




Marimuthu Nadason
President
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (FOMCA) 1D-1, Jalan SS9A/17,
47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
03-78762009