Transport Ministry ready to help resolve issues faced by EMPTA - Wee

KUALA LUMPUR: The Transport Ministry will coordinate with the relevant authorities and ministries to expedite the process of obtaining E-mark certification to help companies sell vehicles and spare parts, said its minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

E-marking certification is the assessment, compliance, testing and certification process implemented on automotive components and motor vehicle systems based on United Nations regulations to ensure the safety of a vehicle.

Wee said the difficulty in obtaining the certification was one of the issues faced by more than 1,100 companies under the Selangor and Federal Territory Engineering and Motor Parts Traders Association (EMPTA) and other companies nationwide involved in the vehicle spare parts trade.

"Other problems experienced are related to the difficulty in obtaining the HS Code for trade with non-ASEAN countries, applications for Component Type Approval (CTA) and Vehicle Type Approval (VTA)," Wee said in a post on Facebook today.

Earlier, Wee received a visit from members of the EMPTA management team, including deputy chairman Tan Hang Cha; secretary-general Tan Hang Chai and assistant secretary-general Darren Wong.

In addition, Wee said the ministry would also look into the concerns of sellers and spare parts shop owners who could not supply spare parts and provide repair services for Proton X50 and X70 cars.

"We will look into whether this violates any competition rules or diminishes the rights of owners for this model," he said, adding that further discussions with the business industry would be held besides welcoming more dialogue sessions to discuss issues related to the automotive industry and vehicle spare parts.

In another Facebook post, Wee stated that along with China's Ambassador to Malaysia, Ouyang Yujing, he witnessed the signing ceremony of the Engineering, Procurement, Construction and Commissioning (EPCC) Supplemental Agreement Number Six for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) Project between Malaysia Rail Link Sdn Bhd (MRL) and China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCCC).

Wee said Transport Ministry secretary-general Datuk Isham Ishak, on behalf of the Malaysian government, and MRL chief executive officer Datuk Seri Darwis Abdul Razak, signed the agreement while CCCC was represented by China Communications Construction (ECRL) Sdn Bhd managing director Kong Qi and its deputy project director/chief engineer Deng Bo.

Once operational in early January 2027, ECRL will begin cargo transport services and carry passengers from the East Coast via Kota Bharu, Kelantan to the Gombak Integrated Transport Terminal (ITT), the gateway to Kuala Lumpur via industrial and residential areas.

The journey from Kota Bharu to ITT Gombak and vice versa is expected to take just four hours using the ECRL, compared to an average of seven hours by road or up to 12 hours during the festive season.

The ECRL project is also expected to drive the growth of the construction and building materials sector as well as support the recruitment of a local workforce that includes professionals, skilled workers and general workers for construction-related activities.

-- BERNAMA