BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) is keeping a close eye on the sale of child car seats on the internet.
Its minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said this was to ensure products sold online meet the necessary safety standards.
He said the ministry had taken note of this following reports stating that child car seats were being sold for as low as RM18 to RM39.90.
Saifuddin said the ministry would enforce legal provisions to curb the sale of seats that were deemed to be unsafe.
This would be enforced under Section 10(1) H and Section 21 of Consumer Protection Act, and Section 5 and Section 18 of Trade Description Act.
“We can use it (legal provisions) to curb the sale of unsafe car seats which do not meet the safety standards.
“Despite the government advising and enforcing the rules and regulations, parents must make wise decisions while prioritising safety aspects,” he said today after attending a “Back to School” programme with Econsave at Econsave Alma, here.
In October, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail announced that child safety seats would be made compulsory under the Child Restraint Systems (CRS) from Jan 1, 2020.
Based on Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) studies, 31 out of 53 (58 per cent) children and infants perish in road accidents.
CRS could potentially reduce risk of injury or death up to 70 per cent, and reduce risks between 54 and 80 per cent to children aged one to four years old.
It was also proven that child car seats could reduce risks of injury or death to 59 per cent for children aged four to seven years old.