1 October 2007 

KUALA LUMPUR: Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry director-general of enforcement Mohd Roslan Mahayudin rebutted NCCC director Darshan Singh's assertion that his division was not doing anything about the problem.

“People can make a lot of noise in the marketplace but if they don't bring it to our attention, how do we take action? Co-operation from the consumer is very important.”

Roslan said thousands of cases came under his division and compounding the offenders was sometimes the fastest way to resolve the cases.

“We compound them and we take them to court if they fail to pay within 14 days.

“If we immediately file the case in court, it sometimes takes time for the matter to be resolved.

“The people who commit the offence also don't feel like they're being punished as they only get their penalty a few years later by which time they would have already made much more money.

“After all that time, the court may just decide to compound the offenders, anyway,” he said.

He said the licences of 20 direct sales companies identified to be conducting scratch-and-win scams had been revoked.

It was illegal for sales personnel to approach anyone's home from 7pm till 9am, or on public holidays, said Roslan.

“After that they have the right to approach the homes of consumers but the consumer still has the right to chase them away.”