GEORGE TOWN: The government has been urged to repeal a decades-old law categorising used car dealers as scrap dealers, citing the adverse impact it has on businesses.
Federation of Motor and Credit Companies Association of Malaysia (FMCCAM) president Tony Khor said these laws were originally implemented to enable the police to monitor stolen goods.
Currently, a police licence is required to establish a used car business, as the law still perceives it as dealing with scrap goods.
Khor said that once a licence is issued, each dealer is obliged to manually record every sale in a book, which can be inspected by the police when necessary.
“We call upon the home ministry to streamline the process. The dealers are already connected through the eAuto system, where every sale is logged.
“This system should be integrated with those of relevant authorities, providing sufficient protection against stolen goods and unscrupulous dealers,” he said during FMCCAM’s 45th annual general meeting (AGM) held here.
Khor said another obstacle faced by dealers was the reluctance of local councils to grant the necessary operating approvals.
Obtaining such licences is a tedious process, with only 2,000 dealers out of 5,936 listed under FMCCAM managing to secure them, he said.
“Due to being classified under the waste or scrap category, and with many of our shops located along main roads, obtaining approval from the council’s town planners is nearly impossible,” he said.
Earlier, state executive councillor Zairil Khir Johari and Pulau Tikus assemblyman Chris Lee opened the federation’s AGM on behalf of transport minister Loke Siew Fook and chief minister Chow Kon Yeow.