Motorists to pay more unless Putrajaya delays car brake parts rule, say traders group

Automotive parts traders want Putrajaya to delay a ruling on brake friction parts until the standards for replacement parts have been defined. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, September 24, 2014.Putrajaya should delay using a ruling on brake friction parts this November 1 until it defines standards for the replacement part that will affect the pockets of millions of passenger car owners in the country, says an automotive parts traders group.

Selangor and Federal Territory Engineering and Motor Parts Traders Association (Empta) officials say the ruling would also make obsolete the thousands of brake friction parts on the shelves of shops across Malaysia as they are not certified by standards authority Sirim Bhd.

It also would mean motorists can only buy genuine parts from carmakers and not those made by original equipment manufacturers (OEM) or third-party makers as the MS1164 standards have yet to be made public.

"There is a double-standard here as carmakers source their parts from third-party makers but branded genuine parts don't have to comply with MS1164 unlike OEM or third-party brands," an official told The Malaysian Insider.

"What we are asking for is a delay to help the authorities define and publish the standards and allow time for Sirim to test the OEM and third-party brake friction parts," he added.

Under the ruling, brake friction parts that include pads and brake shoes must have the European standards E-mark or the MS1164 standard, the official said, noting that Sirim has yet to publish the new standard or facilitate tests.

He also revealed that the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry had only told carmakers of the ruling but not auto parts manufacturers or dealers. The ruling will affect Asian-made cars, which is the majority of cars on Malaysian roads.

There are some 11 million registered passenger vehicles in Malaysia, the bulk of which are the Proton and Perodua national cars. It is not known if the two carmakers, who buy parts from certified third-party makers, still make brake friction parts of their older models.

"All we know is that brakes that don't have the standard will be illegal. That means motorists will have to buy genuine parts from the carmakers, which is priced more than OEM or third-party brakes which can't be used until certified.

"The problem is, Sirim has yet to test or approve the brake parts as there is no word that the tests can be done in Malaysia," he said, adding it will also affect Japanese-made cars.

The MS1164 standard was first announced in 2005 but the EMPTA said there are still no definite guidelines on the standard nine years later. "There is no actual draft of the standard as far as we know," one official said.

The European E-mark sets certain conditions for the brake part performances and also has a cut-off mark for parts made after a certain year. In Europe, the cut-off manufacturing date for E-mark is parts made from 1989.

"The authorities should give time for the OEM and third-party makers to comply with the new standard after it is published, otherwise motorists will be affected.

"We can stop stocking the parts without the standard but motorists will be the only ones affected," added the official, saying the authorities will fine those who keep the brake parts without the MS1164 standard.

- TMI