I refer to Malaysiakini letter, No Fault Liability scheme needs transparency.

The attorney-general's announcement of No Fault Liability scheme came like a breath of fresh air to those accident victims that have to suffer unscrupulous lawyers and insurance companies as well as an inefficient judiciary. I am sure the consumer associations endorse this new scheme.

Simply put, if you meet with an accident, you are paid irrespective of whether you are at fault or not. As a consumer what else can you ask for - you do not have to suffer waiting in court and probably within a week or two you will get your money.

I do not want to throw cold water to the consumer associations or the long-suffering member of the public. What I feel is important is for the attorney-general to answer certain basic questions that I feel all of us would like to know.

He mentioned that New Zealand has introduced the system quite successfully and I reckon we should follow their blueprint. As I understand it, in New Zealand they have an Accident Compensation Commission (ACC) to look after this scheme. The ACC has to be funded and presumably it must be from a public insurance fund.

From the consumer's point of view, what we want to know is the bottom line. For my injuries, how much will the commission pay me and how fast will I get my money. Since it is a No Fault Liability scheme, all I need to show is that I am involved in an accident and I have to show them a medical report of my injuries and presto, I will be paid in a jiffy. No lawyers to tax on my claim, no touts hounding me and I have all the money to myself.

That is the ideal situation. If I am the insurance company, I will definitely support this scheme because there must be a cap to my contribution to the public insurance scheme. I am no longer concern about the scenario of the Batu Gantang accident where scores of people were injured and killed when the coach went into the ravine because the commission will handle the claim.

Will we see the hundred of thousand of ringgits being paid out to the family of victims? I think not because there must also be a cap on the payment. The payment scheme has always been around and I suspect they will follow the Soscso scheme of payment on injuries suffered. For example, a sum of RM1,500 will be paid to the victim for funeral expenses, whichever is lower.

What I feel the attorney-general should do is not only tell the public how sweet the icing on the cake is, but tell us what the cake will taste like. Tell the public in plain language that if he is met with an accident and becomes a quadriplegic, how much will he be compensated. Please understand one thing, once this is legislated, the public will have to live with it.

I call on consumer associations to investigate and study the scheme carefully before it is legislated.