Puspakom’s free festive safety checks no longer certain

PETALING JAYA: Puspakom has suspended its free safety inspection for private vehicles provided by the company before major festivals, targeted especially for those returning to their hometowns.

In a statement to The Star, Puspakom confirmed that it will not be conducting its Festive Voluntary Vehicle Inspection (VVI) programme for this Chinese New Year and is unsure whether it will also include Hari Raya Aidil Fitri (expected to fall on March 31).

“We regret to announce that we will not be conducting our free Festive VVI programme for the upcoming Chinese New Year and remain uncertain about its availability for Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

“We want to emphasise that this is not a discontinuation of the VVI programme, but rather a pause as we focus on rebuilding and strengthening our internal processes,” it said.

Without referring to any specific incident, Puspakom said “recent incidents” have prompted it to enhance treatment precision, service quality, and operational efficiency to ensure that better outcomes can be delivered.

“Before we extend our services externally, we believe it is crucial to refine our internal systems first to meet the highest standards,” it said, adding that it is also reviewing its corporate social responsibility initiatives to develop more structured and effective programmes that will bring lasting benefits.

According to Puspakom, even though the safety inspection is not mandatory under the Road Transport Act, private vehicle owners are encouraged to perform the inspection in the interest of safety.

“We thank the public for their understanding and patience as we take this time to refine, rebuild, and realign our efforts. Our commitment to serving the community remains unwavering, and we look forward to returning with stronger, more impactful initiatives soon.”

Motorist Johnny Yew is one of those who was looking forward to the free vehicle safety inspection this month, having taken advantage of the offer twice last year to inspect his new pickup truck.

He said he was glad for the service as he found that his vehicle could not meet the side-slip requirement for its front axle, and promptly raised the matter with the vehicle manufacturer as it was still under warranty.

The freelance writer also explained how the service helped him the first time.

“In 1999, I paid for the service to inspect my new car. Puspakom inspectors detected it had defective rear brakes.

“I managed to get the vehicle manufacturer to rectify the matter without charge, using the Puspakom report,” he said.

Yew said he will continue to send his vehicles for regular inspections with Puspakom, whether free or otherwise.

Puspakom’s voluntary safety inspection can be done by making an appointment on its website at www.puspakom.com.my