KUALA LUMPUR: Individual freedom for consumers should be given serious attention in implementing the Generation End Game policy.
The Malaysian Consumer Choice Center representative Tarmizi Anuwar said the individual freedom for consumers stipulated in the federal constitution had not been discussed enough by the government.
Tarmizi said very little was discussed about fundamental rights or individual freedoms in this matter.
"Until recently, Tun Zaki, the former chief justice, also touched on the issue of individual freedom in his statement.
"We can have many laws enacted, but what is more important is whether the law aims to achieve the goal of justice and equality," he said in a statement.
The Consumer Choice Center (CCC) recently organised an online webinar titled Ending Generation Endgame, Rules of Law and the constitution.
This webinar aimed to examine and evaluate the federal constitution's rule of law regarding the essence of the generation endgame.
The main panelist for this webinar was R Paneir Selvam, the principal consultant for the think tank Arunachala Research & Consultancy Sdn Bhd (ARC).
In the discussion, Paneir said that the validity of the law could be questioned if the drafting of the law does not take into account the fundamental rights of consumers.
"The highest law in Malaysia is the federal constitution, which recognises the fundamental rights of all Malaysians. If we do not focus on this matter, the validity of the law will be questioned.
"If we allow the right of consumers to choose to be controlled by the state, it is not impossible that the way we cut our hair and wear our outfits will also be controlled in the future.
"This is a dangerous precedent and a wrong move by the government," Paneir said.
According to Paneir, the law enacted must uphold the principle of equality, and consumer rights must be prioritised.
"The law must be fair for all generations and every group in the society. The law cannot only give one advantage to one generation and deprive it of another.
"This bill needs to be postponed and discussed with stakeholders, especially consumers. Consumers need to be given the right to choose, and that right cannot be taken away from the government in any way," he said.
Meanwhile, Paneir said that if the government wants to enact any policy in the future, fundamental freedoms in the federal constitution need to be emphasised significantly.
He said the federal constitution must be obliged according to the rules of law to guide the legislators.
In addition, he also opined that the government should change to a more effective strategy to reduce the number of smokers in Malaysia by educating the public instead of making it a crime.