Responding to allegations by the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (FOMCA) with regard to the Malaysia Competition Commission (MyCC) failing to put an end to the ‘monopolistic behaviour of Touch ‘n Go Sdn. Bhd. And TnG Digital (TnG)’, the Commission has clarified that there is a misconception on the issues of monopolies.
The Competition Act 2010 (Act 712) acknowledges that a dominant or monopoly in a particular market is not an infringement. The infringement occurs when the enterprise abuses it position in the market. “In this instance, MyCC recognises that TnG monopolises the toll payment system only. They became a monopoly naturally as soon as the Government decided, via a gazette, to abolish cash payment for tolls nationwide with the intention of reducing the congestion at the toll booths for the convenience of highway users,” MyCC explained in its press statement recently.
It’s been a while since Malaysians have been able to see the new vehicle sales data by models. This is due to the Competition Act which came into effect in 2012 made the sharing and publication of sales data (specifically model sales data) an offence. The Act, among other things, is intended to prevent price-fixing. The Competition Commission also believes that sharing of data by car companies is ‘an act of collusion’ and could result in prices of parts going up.
The Malaysian Automotive Association (MAA), which had been compiling industry data since the 1960s and sharing it with its members as well as the public, appealed for exemption as the model sales data which is historical in nature was needed for businesses to understand trends in the market. However, the Competition Commission rejected the appeal and allowed only the sharing and publication of sales data by brand and segment (SUV, commercial vehicle, MPV, etc). Sales data by model can only be shared and distributed in the public domain after 12 months so in June 2019, we can see the data for June 2018.
While the data is one year out of date, it may still be of interest to some and certainly confirm claims of being ‘bestselling model in the segment’ which some companies make. Chips Yap, who has been doing such charts for the past 40+ years of his career, has compiled the Top 30 bestsellers in the country based on new vehicle sales data from January to June 2018. Remember, this is 2018 data so don’t ask why there is no Proton X70!
At this time, we’re not sure if we want to do this chart every month, quarterly or in another 6 months when we can see the bestsellers for the whole of 2018. Your comments will guide us in making the decision.