SHAH ALAM, March 15 — Consumer awareness in Malaysia of product recalls remains low, despite the mechanism being crucial to ensuring consumer safety.
A product recall is an action taken by manufacturers to withdraw products from the market when they are found to have defects or pose safety risks to consumers.
The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations' (FOMCA) chief operating officer Nur Asyikin Aminuddin said many consumers still do not understand the importance of lodging complaints if the products they use are found to be faulty or pose safety risks.
She said that consumer complaints are an important factor that helps companies identify problems with a product before further actions, such as recalls, are taken.
“Consumer complaints are key to product safety because it is through those complaints that companies will conduct further investigations,” Asyikin said during Media Selangor's 'Bicara Semasa' programme titled 'Safe Products, Confident Consumers', in conjunction with World Consumer Rights Day recently.
She added that consumers should not simply dispose of faulty products without informing the manufacturer or the relevant parties, as such actions could prevent the root cause of the problem from being identified.
“Some consumers immediately throw away a faulty product and purchase a new one. However, the complaint is important so that the company can conduct further investigations to determine whether the issue involves a single product or an entire batch,” Asyikin said.
Information received from consumers enables manufacturers to assess the level of risk associated with a product and take appropriate action to protect other users.
Products with safety logos may still pose risks
She noted that products bearing safety logos and that have undergone laboratory testing are not necessarily completely risk-free, as certain issues may only be identified after they are used by consumers.
In some situations, component failures or product defects are only detected when items are used under real-world conditions.
“Even though a product has passed laboratory tests and carries a safety logo, risks can sometimes only be detected after consumers begin using it. That is why consumer feedback and complaints are extremely important in helping manufacturers identify product weaknesses,” Asyikin said.
In this regard, FOMCA urged the public to be more vigilant and report any problematic products to ensure consumer safety is always safeguarded.
She also reminded consumers that they can lodge complaints through the National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC), managed by FOMCA, before cases are referred to the relevant authorities.
“Through the NCCC, we will first help mediate complaints between consumers and companies before the matter is brought to the authorities for further action,” Asyikin said.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's GlobalRecalls portal has recorded more than 54,000 product recall notifications globally across various categories of goods.
The situation highlights the importance of consumer awareness in reporting any product issues to ensure safety risks can be identified early and appropriate action taken.
Malaysian consumers can also check information on recalled products through the MySAFE website managed by the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry.
