There are 161% more network complaints in Malaysia for the first half of 2019

During the 18th Annual General Meeting of the Communications and Multimedia Consumer Forum of Malaysia (CFM), it was revealed that consumers have reported 161% more complaints in the first six months of 2019 compared to the first half of 2018. Between January to June this year, CFM has received 4,635 complaints versus 1,770 complaints received in the same period last year.

Out of the total complaints received, 97% were resolved within 15 business days as of 5th July 2019 in accordance to the General Consumer Code of Practice for the Communications and Multimedia Industry Malaysia (GCC).

The bulk of the complaints are for network issues such as service disruption, service downtime, poor 4G/LTE coverage and no coverage for high-speed broadband.

This is followed by billing and charging, service delivery, mobile number portability (MNP), SMS service, unfair practice, misrepresentation of service, pricing and dispute terms and conditions.

CFM has also taken notice at Direct Carrier Billing complaints which allow mobile users to purchase apps and digital services on the Google Play Store or Apple App Store using their prepaid credit or postpaid bill. The consumer forum is advising consumers to take the following precautions:

1. Always check and monitor your phone bill details
2. Do not save payment methods and details in your device such as credit card details, debit cards, phone numbers and e-Wallet. Only add payment when needed.
3. Do not share your TAC or PIN number with strangers
4. Do not authorise any unknown transactions
5. Do not share your personal data with others

For point number 2, it is unavoidable to not save your payment details on your device these days especially if you use your smartphone for Samsung Pay or QR-code based payments. It is always recommended to secure your device with a pin or with a biometric method such as Face ID or fingerprint.

If you have a problem with your provider and you’re not getting a satisfactory response, you can file a complaint to MCMC here.