Debate speech by Wong Ho Leng on the Consumer Protection Bill in Dewan Rakyat on Thursday, 1^stJuly 2010:

Debate speech on the Consumer Protection Bill

Life is such that not all businessmen are honest. May be they do not mean to be dishonest but they do not follow the law. May be it is because of lack of enforcement by the authorities concerned.

It is therefore necessary to protect consumers against unscrupulous or dishonest businessmen so that they do not have to pay unnecessarily.

3 months ago I was at the LCCT. I wanted to check in my baggage. It weighed 18 kg, and I was asked to pay the excess baggage. However, when the baggage was moved to the back of the weighing scale I realized that it weighed only 14 kg.

Why should the weight of the baggage be different if it is put to the back of the weighing scale?

When I asked the check-in counter staff whether the scale had been checked and verified every year, he said he cannot tell me.

I realized that there was no stamp at the scale to indicate that the authorities concerned had checked and verified the scale.

Can I know from the Minister whether it is the duty of every trader to check and verify the scales that they use for trade every year? Can the Minister tell this august house what measures have been taken to enforce this requirement at all airports in the country? This is important because a neglected act or dishonest act may ruin our international reputation.

If scales at the airports are not checked and verified every year, one can imagine how many passengers have to pay extra and unnecessarily! The air tickets nowadays are already costly enough.

The problem is not at the LCCT alone. I was told that the scale which is used to weigh hand luggage at Sibu Airport is also not stamped. It means it is not legal to be used. I urge that the Minister look into this.

I am sure the same problem is faced by ordinary consumers. I was told that every year about 10 to 20% of scales need to be calibrated because they are no longer accurate.

If the scales are not verified and properly calibrated, the customers will have to pay for something that they do not have to pay. Life is already harsh nowadays when prices of everything are going up.

In order to make sure that consumers are not going to be cheated, the Ministry should ensure that all traders should show the stickers on the scale showing that the scales had been checked and verified every year.

* Wong Ho Leng , DAP Sarawak State Chairman & MP for Sibu