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The Communications and Multimedia
Consumer Forum of Malaysia or better known as Consumer Forum, registered under the Registrar
of Society, was established in February 2001 to encourage the development of
industry self-regulation. It primarily develops and oversees Codes that serve
the dual purpose of promoting high standards of service in the communications
and multimedia industry while protecting the interest of the Malaysian
consumer.
The Consumer Forum is made up of members representing business and consumer
interest. The communications and multimedia industry is represented on the
business side (including telecommunications companies and broadcasting
stations). The consumer interest is represented by non-governmental
organisations and public interest groups. Membership to the Consumer Forum is
open to all and members are encouraged to participate in ongoing activities
such as reviewing of Codes and educational programmes. There is a membership
fee, which depends on membership category, i.e. ordinary members and
associate members.
The key objectives of the Consumer Forum are to:
- promote the national policy objectives as
stated in the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
- draft, develop and prepare
Codes that protect the rights of the Consumer pursuant to the provisions
of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and from time to time to
amend, develop, modify, review and update Codes.
- engage in and undertake
research on matters within the jurisdiction of the forum and to collect,
prepare and distribute statistics as may be considered desirable or
beneficial to all or any of the forum's objectives and purposes.
- provide an avenue and channel for
complaints, disputes and grievances.
- recommend inexpensive and practical
alternative dispute resolution procedures, for example mediation.
- recommend procedures for compensation
and/or any other mode of action to the Customer in case of breach of a
Code.
- invite, collect and
collate public opinion and views on consumer matters and to promote and
create public and industry awareness of the Codes and their compliances;
and to provide avenues for dissemination of information to the public
and education regarding consumer rights, regulations and technologies
for the Consumer.
- administer sanctions on breaches of the
Codes by Members.
- monitor service delivery of the
communications and multimedia industry concerning consumer interests to
ensure compliance with the Codes.
- promote and encourage high standards of
service, conduct and performance throughout the communications and
multimedia industry and to develop Consumer confidence.
- regularly update the
Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission on the progress of
the forum.
The
Consumer Forum has developed the General
Consumer Code of Practice. The objectives
of the Code, among others, are to provide model procedures for reasonably
meeting consumer requirements, handling consumer complaints and disputes,
creating an inexpensive mediation or process other than the court and
procedures for compensation of the consumer in case of a breach of the code,
protection of consumer information and to provide benchmarks for the communications
and multimedia service providers for the benefit of consumers. The Malaysian
Communications and Multimedia Commission registered the Code on 17 October 2003.
The Consumer Forum is currently working on the Internet Access
Code and Mobile Service Provider Code.
The
Consumer Forum is one of the avenues open to address complaints in relation
to consumer matters.
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