Section 1
(2)
This Act comes into operation on a date to be appointed by the Minister by notification in the Gazette.
Amendment of section 3
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Quick answer
FRANCHISE (AMENDMENT) ACT 2012 is Malaysia Amendment Act, cited as Amendment Act A1442 2012, currently marked in force and first recorded in 2012.
Opening note
This Act comes into operation on a date to be appointed by the Minister by notification in the Gazette.
Amendment of section 3
The Franchise Act 1998 [Act 590], which is referred to as the
“principal Act” in this Act, is amended in section 3—
in subsection (1), by inserting after the words “the sale”
the words “and operation”; and
by inserting after the words “The sale” the words
“and operation”; and
in subparagraph (a)(ii), by inserting after the word
“within” the words “or outside”.
franchise (amendment) ACT 2012
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Amendment of section 4
Section 4 of the principal Act is amended—
in paragraph (c), by inserting after the words
“franchise system;” the word “and”;
by substituting for the word “; and” at the end of paragraph (e) a full stop; and
by inserting after the definition of “franchise broker” the following definition:
‘ “franchise consultant” means a person who provides advice and consultancy services to another person on the registration of a franchise business and compliance of the related laws;’.
Substitution of section 6
The principal Act is amended by substituting for section 6
the following section:
Quoted provision
Any franchisor who fails to comply with this section, unless exempted by the Minister under section 58, commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable—
if such person is a body corporate, to a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty thousand ringgit, and for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding five hundred thousand ringgit; or
if such person is not a body corporate, to a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or
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Franchise (Amendment)
to both, and for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both.”.
New sections 6a and 6b
“Registration of franchisor
The principal Act is amended by inserting after section 6 the following sections:
“Registration of franchisee of foreign franchisor 6a. (1) Before commencing the franchise business, a franchisee who has been granted a franchise from a foreign franchisor shall apply to register the franchise with the Registrar by using the prescribed application form and such application shall be subject to the Registrar’s approval.
The Registrar may impose any conditions for the approval of registration of franchise referred to in subsection (1).
Where a franchisee has been granted approval from a foreign franchisor to sell the franchise, the franchisee shall register such approval.
Registration of franchisee 6b. A franchisee who has been granted a franchise from a local franchisor or local master franchisee shall register the franchise with the Registrar by using the prescribed registration form within fourteen days from the date of signing of the agreement between the franchisor and franchisee.”.
Amendment of section 10
The principal Act is amended by substituting for section 10
the following section:
Quoted provision
The registration of a franchise shall continue to be effective unless the Registrar issues a written order to the franchisor, to suspend, terminate or cancel the registration of the franchise under this Act.”.
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Amendment of section 11
“Period of effectiveness
in subsection (1), by inserting after the word “shall” the words “, with the approval of the Registrar,”; and
by inserting after subsection (3) the following subsection:
“(4) Any person who fails to comply with this section commits an offence.”.
Amendment of section 12
Subsection 12(1) of the principal Act is amended by substituting for the words “, prohibit or deny the sale or” the words “or cancel the approval of the”.
Amendment of section 13
Section 13 of the principal Act is amended by substituting for subsection (2) the following subsection:
“(2) The Registrar shall cancel the registration of the franchise from the register if he is satisfied that—
the franchisor has failed to submit his annual report to the
Registrar as stipulated under section 16 for the duration of five years continuously;
the franchisor is no longer granting rights under the franchise.”.
Amendment of section 14
Section 14 of the principal Act is amended—
by inserting after the words “franchise broker” wherever appearing the words “or franchise consultant”;
in subsection (5), by substituting for the words “one year”
the words “two years”; and
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Franchise (Amendment)
by inserting after subsection (5) the following subsections:
“(5a) The franchise broker or franchise consultant shall apply for the renewal of registration within thirty days from the date of the expiration of the registration.
Any franchise broker or franchise consultant who fails to comply with subsection (5a) commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding ten thousand ringgit, and for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding twenty-five thousand ringgit.”.
Amendment of section 15
Section 15 of the principal Act is amended—
by inserting after the words “disclosure documents”
the words “including amendments to the disclosure documents approved under section 11”; and
by inserting after the words “with the franchisor”
the words “or after the disclosure documents is approved by the Registrar under section 11, whichever is applicable”; and
by deleting the word “disclosure”; and
by inserting after the word “Registrar” the words
“under section 7”.
Amendment of section 16
Section 16 of the principal Act is amended—
by substituting for subsection (1) the following subsection:
“(1) The franchisor shall, within six months from the end of each financial year of the franchise business, submit a report to the Registrar in the prescribed form.”;
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in paragraph (3)(b), by substituting for the words “, prohibit or deny the sale or” the words “or cancel the approval of the”; and
by inserting after subsection (3) the following subsection:
“(4) Any person who fails to comply with this section commits an offence.”.
Amendment of section 19
Section 19 of the principal Act is amended by inserting after the word “writing” the words “in the disclosure document”.
Amendment of section 20
Section 20 of the principal Act is amended by substituting for the words “a contravention of this Act” the words “an offence under this Act”.
Amendment of section 26
in subsection (1), by substituting for the words “the franchisee and his employees” the words “the franchisee, including its directors, the spouses and immediate family of the directors, and his employees”; and
in subsection (2), by substituting for the words “The franchisee and his employees” the words “The franchisee, including its directors, the spouses and immediate family of the directors, and his employees”.
Amendment of section 27
Section 27 of the principal Act is amended—
in subsection (1), by substituting for the words “the franchisee and his employees” the words “the franchisee, including its directors, the spouses and immediate family of the directors, and his employees”; and
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Franchise (Amendment)
in subsection (2), by substituting for the words “The franchisee and his employees” the words “The franchisee, including its directors, the spouses and immediate family of the directors, and his employees”.
Amendment of section 28
Subsection 28(1) of the principal Act is amended by inserting after the word “bind” the words “a franchisor or”.
Amendment of section 29
Section 29 of the principal Act is amended by inserting after subsection (2) the following subsection:
“(3) The franchisee shall operate the business separately from the franchisor, and the relationship of the franchisee with the franchisor shall not at anytime be regarded as a partnership, service contract or agency.”.
Amendment of section 31
in subsection (1), by inserting after the word “franchisor”
the words “or franchisee”;
in paragraphs (2)(a) and (2)(b), by inserting after the words “the failure of” the words “a franchisor or”;
and
by inserting after the words “in which the” the words “franchisor or”; and
by inserting after paragraph (a) the following paragraph:
“(aa) becomes bankrupt or insolvent;”.
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Amendment of section 34
Section 34 of the principal Act is amended by substituting for subsection (1) the following subsection:
“(1) A franchisee may, at his option, apply for an extension of the franchise term by giving a written notice to the franchisor not less than six months prior to the expiration of the franchise term.”.
Amendment of section 37
in subsection (1), by inserting after the words “commits an offence” the words “and shall, on conviction, be liable—
if such person is a body corporate, to a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty thousand ringgit, and for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding five hundred thousand ringgit; or
if such person is not a body corporate, to a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both, and for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both.”;
and
by inserting after subsection (1) the following subsection:
“(2) Subsection (1) shall also apply to a franchise broker or franchise consultant.”.
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Franchise (Amendment)
New section 37a
The principal Act is amended by inserting after section 37
the following section:
“Offence of holding out as a franchise 37a. A person who assumes or uses in relation to its business, the term “franchise” or any of its derivatives or any other words indicating the carrying on of a franchise business, including the use of the word “franchise” or any abbreviation thereof as part of the name or title in documents, agreements, books, advertisements or publications, without approval of registration by the Registrar under section 8
commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable—
if such person is a body corporate, to a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty thousand ringgit, and for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding five hundred thousand ringgit; or
if such person is not a body corporate, to a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both, and for a second or subsequent, offence to a fine not exceeding two hundred and fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both.”.
Amendment of section 38
Section 38 of the principal Act is amended by deleting the words “and shall, on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding two thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both”.
Amendment of section 39
in subsection (1), by substituting for paragraphs (a)
and (b) the following paragraphs:
“(a) if such person is a body corporate, to a fine of not less than ten thousand ringgit and not more
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than fifty thousand ringgit, and for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than twenty thousand ringgit and not more than one hundred thousand ringgit; or
if such person is not a body corporate, to a fine of not less than five thousand ringgit and not more than twenty-five thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, and for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine of not less than ten thousand ringgit and not more than fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year.”; and
in subsection (2), by substituting for the words “a first offence” the words “an offence under this section”.
Deletion of section 55
The principal Act is amended by deleting section 55.
Deletion of section 57
The principal Act is amended by deleting section 57.
Amendment of section 60