New Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) president N Marimuthu revealed his plans for the 31-year-old consumer body today while highlighting a recently set up centralised complaints centre.

Marimuthu who took over the helm of Fomca on June 25 this year talked proudly of the National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) and was confident of the centre's ability to uplift the standard of handling consumer woes.

The association was previously led by Suhakam commissioner Professor Hamdan Adnan for 14 years.

"We've hired professionals to handle complaints from consumers in this centralised outfit where complaints from all over the country is redirected to," he said.

The centre is an initiative of the Selangor and Federal Territory Consumers Association along with ERA Consumer Malaysia of which Marimuthu is also president.

Launched on July 13 by Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Shafie Apdal, the centre will handle complaints from consumers which last year totalled 293,000 nationwide.

Marimuthu said there are 40 consumer groups in Malaysia which either handle complaints or launch protests. The NCCC acts as a centre especially for states which do not have active associations or call centres.

"Complaints from other states will also be forwarded to the NCCC and while trying to solve these complaints, the centre will also produce status reports, identify consumer behaviour and complaint patterns," said the veteran consumer rights worker.

Necessary changes

The gathered data will contribute to a bi-annual "consumer digest" - an academic journal - which Fomca plans to produce and which will be used to inform and lobby the government to make necessary changes in laws and policies affecting the Malaysian user.

The NCCC, which also has a legal section, is located next to the Fomca office in Petaling Jaya and calls can be made to 03-7877 9000 (hunting line).

Marimuthu, who served as secretary general in Fomca for 10 years before becoming the body's sixth president, has other plans as well for its development.

"There are 15 affiliates in Fomca and I plan to have each one specialising only in one area of consumer issues, be it pollution, environment, water issues or those involving the local authority. Handle one facet and do it well," he stressed.

A plan to produce a 'simple' Fomca magazine to help educate consumers on practical matters pertaining to consumerism is also in the pipeline.

Marimuthu said that he was also looking at forming a Consumer Foundation of Malaysia for research and financial management.

"There has to be some sort of move for financial sustainability for us since consumer organisations cannot be funded by corporations and the government does not give us funds for operational costs, only programme grants," he said while toying with an idea for a localised consumer television show.

Fingers in many pies

Starting his career in 1983 as a complaints officer in the Consumer Association of Taiping of which he was a founding member, Marimuthu has worked his way to the top of the consumer associations' food chain in the space of 20 years.

The father of two who founded ERA Consumer Malaysia in 1985 and became its president in 1998 was gutsy in facing the challenges ahead as chief of three bodies.

"It will be simple for me to juggle my time among these groups as ERA is a very stable organisation with clear projects and we do not operate haphazardly. There is also a strong management team while I only act as an administrator despite being the chief operating officer," he added.

He plans to spend time to "repackage" Fomca, saying that he would not have much difficulties managing the body as he has been involved in its operation for the past ten years with former president Hamdan.

Fomca also has its past presidents acting as advisors to the body and this, said Marimuthu, is mainly reflected in them giving their views to the current team as well as being media spokespersons.

He acknowledged that Hamdan had brought great awareness to the grassroots with his media skills and gained the body a lot of mileage and that would be hard to replace.

"As for me, I am planning to leave behind a well operated Fomca with perhaps even its own physical building after having now started an office. Solid systems will also be put in place so that the government will take us very seriously," he said.

Today, 72 percent of secondary schools in Malaysia have consumer societies while 57 percent of the country's populations are more aware of their consumer rights according to statistics released by the government.

Malaysia has the most number of registered consumer associations in the region, Marimuthu added.