AAA: Uniform tint film guidelines a win-win situation for all

PUTRAJAYA: Standardising window tinting for cars is a win-win situation benefiting industry players, consumers and the Government, said the Auto Audio Accessories and Air Condition Traders Association of Malaysia (AAA).

“The AAA, which represents 90% of car accessory businesses in the country, came up with a mechanism on vehicle window tint film standardisation as an initiative to benefit not just the industry players but the consumers and Government too.

“We will develop standards that will ensure that tint films sold by AAA-registered businesses are those of high quality and adhere to a single standardised specification that will not cause disputes or confusion among traders, consumers or the authorities,” said AAA president Lim Bee Choo.

From Jan 1, the window tinting of newly-registered vehicles will follow the new MS2669 standard set by the Department of Standards Malaysia.

Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) Prof Dr Wong Shaw Voon said that consumers did not have proper guidance on what car tint was safe to use or legally allowed.

“Consumers would go to different shops and ask about UV (ultraviolet) filtering, and different shops may give different answers.

“Now, with a standardised guideline and also a standardised method to test the films, consumers will know better,” he said.

Dr Wong said that the MS2669 standard did not only test or evaluate a tint film based on its solar filtering performances but its resistance to weathering and boiling problems.

“If a tint film develops bubbles or its colour degraded, it can be dangerous for the driver.

“The standard we develop here is to ensure that the films will last about five years,” he said.