CASE should take a more active approach

8 August 2012

Editor, 

Forum Page

Straits Times

I read the the letter from Mr. Lim Biow Chuan, President of the

Consumer Association of Singapore (Tutor breached law: Case, ST 8 Aug 2012) with 

some disappointment.

Mr. Lim said that the tutor, who had falsely advertised his qualification, had 

breached Section 4(b) of the Consumer Protection and Fair Trading Act and asked

consumers to take legal action for the breach. 

In my view, a breach of a written law, is usually an offence that should be prosecuted

by the relevant authority. In this case, the law is administered by the Consumer 

Association, which should be the party to take the appropriate action.

Even if CASE does not have specific responsibility to enforce this law, it should be the 

party to act on behalf of consumers on a matter of public interest and knowledge. CASE 

should not expect ordinary consumers, who do not have financial and legal resources, 

to take legal action on their own. 

There is a potential criminal offence of cheating, when a party

knowingly put up false statements to take money from the unsuspecting public. It 

would be appropriate for CASE to put up a complaint to the Police that this matter 

to be investigated.

In recent years, the standard of business ethics has deteriorated in Singapore due to

weakness in enforcement of the law. It is time to review the situation and revert to a more

active approach.

Tan Kin Lian