Perlindungan Pengguna Di Bawah Undang-undang: Pembekalan Barang & Perkhidmatan

Abstract

The modern era is a harbinger of ultra-modern, highly complicated and sophisticated technology, trade and industry. The twentieth century saw great economic change in market place. In the realm of supply of goods and services, globalisation has impacted the production, distribution and consumption of these comodities. In the market place thus, a consumer is in need of legal protection. In Malaysia, in the context of supply ofgoods and services, consumers are protected by the provisions in several legislations. The Sale of Goods Act 1957 and the Consumer Protection Act 1999 contain provisions on supply of goods and services. Hire-purchase transactions are controlled by the Hire Purchase Act 1967, whilst direct selling is governed by the Direct Sales Act 1993. One of the major concerns prior to the coming into force of the Consumer Protection Act 1999 is the absence of mechanism for settling consumer disputes besides the courts. Absence of appropriate mechanisms causes disgruntled consumers and the spread of unethical conduct of traders. With an aim of providing a cheap, simple and fast mechanism, the Tribunal for Consumer Claims was introduced in 1999. This article explores the provisions on the supply of goods and services as contained in the above mentioned legislations, focusing in particular, on provisions attaching civil liabilities on traders.