CONSUMER MOVEMENT: A Salute To The Real Experts
ON Saturday, I attended my seventh Hari Pengguna Malaysia (Consumers Day), an event celebrated by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry since 2001. Since my involvement with the consumer movement in 1982, I have never missed this event as it indicates the government’s recognition and commitment to consumer issues in Malaysia.
All too often this event has been stiff and formal, with the minister’s speech as the highlight of the event. I would like to say that of all the previous events I had attended, this year was the most meaningful and memorable for me as the ministry finally gave its due recognition to the contribution of the consumer movement in Malaysia.
For the first time, the highlight was not the ministers’ speech but the sharing of experiences by a consumer activist, Gurmit Singh, the Consumer Association of Penang and a school in Johor, which had undertaken substantial projects in the area of consumerism in the school.
In fact in his speech, the minister concerned, Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad, humbly acknowledged that consumer leaders on the ground were the real experts and it was most appropriate that they should share their experiences for all of us to learn and get involved in the consumer process.
He had even suggested that this day should be more informal and participatory rather than formal and stiff.
New Straits Times