The Consumer Claims Tribunal is studying the possibility of allowing the short-messaging service (SMS) and social networking site, Facebook, to be used for filing claims.

Tribunal chairperson Pretam Singh said the tribunal wanted consumers, especially the younger generation, who mostly own mobile phones, to be able to make claims on the spot against suppliers or service providers in a fast and cheap way.

"We hope to implement claims filing via SMS and Facebook as soon as possible," he told reporters after briefing Deputy Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Rohani Karim at the tribunal's Kuching office today.

He added that the tribunal was currently in talks with the Malaysia Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu) on the technical details of implementing the system.

Currently, consumers have the option of filing claims at the tribunals' offices nationwide or online through the e-Tribunal System, with 51,728 cases recorded from 2005 till June this year.

Meanwhile, Pretam said the tribunal would also study procedures on allowing tourists to file claims following four cases filed last year by tourists from Sarawak involving Indian tourists (two cases), China and Britain (one case each).

- Bernama