Customs bans import of dummy seatbelt buckles
A Malaysian Federal Government Gazette has been issued banning the import of dummy seatbelt buckles. The Gazette, titled Customs (Prohibition of Imports) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2025, specifically forbids the import of dummy seatbelt buckles.
Falling under Customs (Prohibition if Imports) Order 2023 [P.U. (A) 117/2023}, the order comes into force from December 31, 2025. The dummy seatbelt buckle is defined as “A dummy buckle, seat-belt alarm stopper, seat-belt clip extender or any other similar accessory or device intended to be inserted into a seat-belt buckle to disable or bypass the safety reminder and rendering the seat-belt mechanism inoperative.”
The order is exercised under subsection 31(1) of the Customs Act 1967 [Act 235]. The prohibition on import is applicable to all countries of origin.
The rampant use of dummy seatbelt buckles was a worrying trend noted by authorities, including JPJ, with calls to have such devices banned from Malaysian vehicles. This was seen recently where 195 saman were issued over 2025 Chinese New Year period for not wearing seatbelts, and over a third of them involved the use of dummy buckles.
With the ministry of transport having no power over the import of such safety defeating devices, transport minister Anthony Loke said his ministry would work together with the domestic trade and cost of living ministry to ban the sale of dummy seatbelt buckles. Negeri Sembilan road transport department (JPJ) director Hanif Yusabra Yusuf said 30% of drivers prefer to wear the dummy buckle to silence the sound of the seatbelt reminder, with the excuse the seat belt is uncomfortable or that they forgot.
