What is GCC?

General Consumer Code of Practice for the Communications & Multimedia

Industry in Malaysia. GCC comprises guidelines and best practice for
Communications & Multimedia Service Providers (SPs)
Registered by Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission
(MCMC) on 17 October 2003.

Objectives of GCC
1. Reasonably meet consumer requirements.
2. Handling of consumer complaints and disputes.
3. Provide an inexpensive mediation process and procedures for
compensation.
4. Protection of consumer information.
5. Meet the national policy objectives of the CMA 1998.
6. Provide benchmarks for Service Providers that will benefit
consumers.
7. Promote a high level of consumer confidence in service delivery.
8. Provide guidelines for self-regulation among the industry.
There are 2 rules of GCC; (A) Provision of information and (B)
Protection of personal information.
(A)

Provision of Information

FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES
1. Provide sufficient, accurate, true and up-to-date information in a
simple and straight forward language.
2. Provide information requested within a 7-day period of acceptance
and at no cost, unless it involves retrieving archive.
3. Provide information through verbal or written, in publicly visible
mediums (display at premises, websites, mass media)
4. Provide free contractual agreement, reasonable fees may be
imposed for additional copies.
DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES
1. Provide sufficient description of service & service coverage in the
simplest form prior to entering a contract.

PRICING INFORMATION

1. How much?, For what? and When?

2. Whether the charges may vary during the term of the contract.
PACKAGING OF SERVICES
1. Provide information on any additional products and/or services
2. Provide information on name and address of any 3rd party supplier
3. Inform the consumer of any applicable savings & condition applied
TERMS & TERMINATION
1. If possible,

a contract must include:

Commencement date
Minimum contract term
Manner of notification to terminate
Disconnection and reconnection terms
Breaches that justify service interruption

CUSTOMER RIGHT TO REDRESS

1. Inform of any contractual warranty of the product, its availability if a
copy is not provided & the Rights to Redress if there is a breach of
warranty.
CUSTOMER OBLIGATIONS
1. Inform Customer of his obligation & consequences of breach.
INSTRUCTIONS OF USE
1. Provide general instruction
AFTER SALES SUPPORT
1. Inform if support is available, circumstances for availability, contact
details & charges (if any), and under what circumstances they
become available.
SPOKEN COMMUNICATIONS
1. Disclose brand, service, price and special offers (if any). Applicable
for telemarketing, Door-to-door sales, direct personal sales & Sales
through authorized representatives.

MODIFIED CODE OBLIGATIONS

1. No obligation to provide information if:
request is frivolous and vexatious
not relevant to Customer
not eligible for the Service
breach confidentiality
contravention to any law
consumer clearly states that it is not required
ADVERTISING & REPRESENTATION OF SERVICES
1. Disclose disclaimers & any qualifying statements and all claims in
advertisements must be substantiated.
CUSTOMER BILLING, CHARGING, COLLECTION AND CREDIT PRACTICES
1.
2.
3.
4.

SPs to provide current billing free-of-charge

Billing accuracy is verifiable
Bill is timely, easily understood & sufficient
Retain records for 1 year

PROVISIONING OF THE SERVICE

1. Provide service requested within 3 days of receipt of proper
documentation subject to:
technical complications
readiness/availability of the infrastructure
credit worthiness of Customer
FAULT REPAIR OF SERVICE
1. Necessary facilities to allow customers to report faults 24 hours a
day.

(B)

Protection of Personal Information

INTRODUCTION
1. The objective of this Section is to set out the responsibility of a
Service Provider (SP) in protection of Consumer Information.
GENERAL PRINCIPLES
1. SP may collect and maintain necessary data/information of
Consumers for tracking practises. However the collection and
maintenance of such data/information shall follow good practices;
Data must be accurate and lawfully obtained
Adequate, relevant and not excessive
Data processed for limited purpose and in accordance to their
rights
Not transferable without consent
Data must be secured and not kept longer than necessary
CODE RULES
1. Data protection policy must be made available
2. Customer has choice of how data is used
3. Data security must protect from loss, misuse/alteration

Principles on Complaint Handling

Visibility & Accessibility

1. SPs complaint handling processes must be publicized to Consumers
and staff.
2. SP should consider the provision of a toll free or and other
alternatives.
Special Needs
1. Provide adequate provisions for people with physical disabilities to
lodge complaints
Responsiveness
1. Acknowledgement of non-written complaints will be taken at the
time complaint was made while written complaints must be
acknowledged within three (3) working days of receipt.
2. Resolution of the complaints should be 90% in 15 business days and
in 95% of the complaints resolved within a timeframe not exceeding
30 business days from the time of submission.
3. If certain cases are not possible to be resolved within 30 calendar
days timeframe due to complexity or circumstances of the
complaint, regular update and likely timeframe for finalisation must
be provided to the customer as per the complaints progress.
4. If the complaint cannot be resolve within 45 days or the SP is of the
opinion that the complaint cannot be resolve within 45 days, SP
must inform the customer accordingly and advice the customer of
his right to refer the complaint to the Consumer Forum.
Charges

Complaint handling should be provided for free of charge.

However, SP may impose a reasonable charge where investigation
of a complaint requires the retrieval of archive of more than 1 year
old records.

Further Recourse

Advise customers the options to lodge complaints to CFM if

remains dissatisfied with the outcome and ultimately to
MCMC.

Suspension of Charges

Credit management action to be avoided during investigation

UNLESS necessary, provided that the Customer must be
notified.

Internal Data Collection and Analysis

SP must have appropriate recording systems for complaints

and their outcomes.

SP must review their complaint handling process regularly to

ensure efficiency.

Review

Changes to Complaint Handling Processes

SP must inform customers & CFM of any variations to the

complaint handling process.

Retention of Records

Material collected and recorded during the complaint handling

process id to be retained by SPs for a period of 1 year following
the resolution of a complaint.

Audit by MCMC

MCMC has the rights to audit the complaints handling

processes of the SP and CFM.

Code Compliance by Service Providers

To ensure the SPs comply with the GCC, the following must be observed:

Develop & publicise the compliance policy & procedures and GCC to
staff & 3rd party (where relevant)
Develop procedures/programs to educate staff on GCC compliance
issues.
Implement a line management structure to monitor compliance
Set up a specific unit to attend to, coordinate/handle GCC
compliance issues.

Reporting
1. CFM will provide regular progress reports encompassing among
others:
Monitoring activities undertaken, identified breaches of Code
& the remedial action
Statistics on complaints & resolutions,
instances of rejection of a complaint and the reasons
identified recurring complaints and steps to address these
publicity and education programs
Monitoring, Review and Amendments
1. Monitoring
Type of monitoring by CFM includes complaints and
complaints monitoring, routine verification of code compliance
by SPs and identification of universal code issues and
breaches.
2. Routine Verification of Code Compliance by Participants
SPs are required to provide reports to CFM where the need is
stipulated in GCC.
3. Monitoring of Universal Code Issues and Breaches
CFM will be advised of any emerging or universal issues with
the GCC, as highlighted by consumer complaints via regular
meetings with MCMC.
4. Code Review

GCC & sub-codes review will be conducted at least every 3

years.
5. Amendment/Replacement of a Code
As a result of the review, CFM may recommend the
amendment to GCC.
The amendment will be made in accordance with CMA 1998.

6. Code Adherence
If a complaint does not fall within its jurisdiction, CFM will refer
to the appropriate body.
Consumer complaint will be first lodged and dealt with by the
relevant SP. If the customer remains dissatisfied with the
resolution given by the SP, then the Consumer may lodge a
complaint with Consumer Forum.
If still dissatisfied with the Consumer Forums decision, the
Consumer can refer the complaint to the MCMC.
All industry complaint must be lodged directly to CFM.
The Forum will investigate the complaint in order to
determine whether there has been a breach of the GCC and
impose sanctions if there has been a breach. The types of
sanctions that can be imposed include issuance of a caution
notice and issuance of warning notice.
Consumer Forum will refer to the MCMC for its consideration in
the event of continued breaches.
Parties wishing to appeal the decision of the Forum must do so
in accordance with the procedure aid down in the Operating
Manual.
The Forum will monitor the adoption of sanctions,
rectifications and appeal.
Any activities by CFM in administering the GCC &
investigations will be undertaken on a confidential basis.
SP shall offer compensation (monetary/non-monetary e.g.
refund, rebates waivers etc.) to customers in cases of breach
of GCC to place customers in the same position they were
prior to the breach