The government will introduce heavier penalties for offences related to reckless driving and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. According to transport minister Anthony Loke, the road transport act is set to be reviewed and amended to increase the existing penalties for such offences, The Star reports.
He said that the matter received serious attention in today’s cabinet meeting, and the amendments could be tabled in parliament as early as the second sitting in June or July this year.
“The cabinet agreed in principle for the transport minister to review and amend the existing provisions and tighten laws concerning driving under the influence and reckless driving. We will be having discussions with stakeholders including the police and the attorney-general’s chambers to seek their views on enforcement and laws,” he said.
Loke said that provisions that will be reviewed include the prescribed limit of alcohol content, with current law permitting up to 80 mg of alcohol in 100 ml of blood. “However, the international limit set by the WHO (World Health Organisation) is 50 mg in 100 ml of blood, so we feel this needs to be reviewed,” he said.
At present, those found driving in an intoxicated state beyond the permissible level can be jailed up to ten years and fined up to RM20,000.
He added that Section 41 of the road transport act, which concerns reckless and dangerous driving resulting in fatal accidents, will also be reviewed. Presently, those found guilty for reckless driving and causing death as a result of that can be jailed up to 10 years and fined a maximum of RM20,000, and also banned from driving for at least three years.
“We need to re-look at existing provisions and ensure those who are found guilty of reckless driving will receive more appropriate punishment,” he said. In July 2018, Loke had said that the ministry was planning a review of the existing provisions, but to date, no changes have been made to current laws.
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Good move. Pls implement asap..
I take Grab when got too drunk… baru la steady.
Those bas and lori drivers on drugs & meths too,
Bravo Loke! BN failed to implement past 60years
Heavier penalties got no meaning without enforcement.
Enforcement is now seriously lacking compared to the low levels during BN 60 years era. Now Polis & JPJ don’t even care to enforce because Loke here is overruling all of them. All offenses are legalised by paying money so how to enforce? Loke sucks as the worst MOT we ever had.
We must ban selling of alcohol drinks after 10PM.
Just ban selling alco in the open. Simple.
Dear Minister,
It is good but do you know that most drivers do not understand the traffic rules ( priority of right of way ) that causes the most accidents in junctions and roundabouts for example
1) the right of way for car in the main road incoming and suddenly a car dash out from the secondary road hoping the incoming will stop and there goes an accident ..so how?
2) Cars that are double park along the roads in shoplots and residential houses with no enforcement after 5 pm onwards and leaving no room for two way traffic to move freely causing an expected accident. So how and when can you solved this issue??
Furthermore,
1) Motorcycles plying along highway like in Federal Highway and Kesas and not using designated motorcycle lanes . These riders ride hell of fast in ziz zaz without observing and following behind vehicles
2) Motorcycles skipping red lights and riding on opposite direction of one way traffic.. ?? where is the the Enforcement officers and just closing eyes .. do not see any heavy fines table in parliament for these reckless and not traffic law abiding riders … Road Enforcements not doing their job properly , what say you?? in areas like , Bangsar ,Setapak , Cheras , Jalan Tun Perak & Pekeliling , Puchong, Bukit jalil and so on..
You had not taken or implement any new actions on those not traffic law abiding motorcyclist till now that is causing danger and accident to other road users ..
Bikers got lesen to skip red lights and riding on opposite direction of one way traffic.. When they got their Food delivery bags on, no matter its pink Foodpanda, green Grab or some Pizzas…
Increase commission for traffic police to nap these offenders. The more you nap the more you earn.
Ah LOKE, biler U mau saman KAPCAI yg x pakai laluan MOTOR ?
yeah right..try to ride on that so called laluan MOTOR everyday..then u will know why kapcai using main road..don’t just sembang pandai here
how about compulsory annual screening to large vehicles like truck drivers?
Penalty is not preventing, our MP’s mind is so narrow, the important is preventing, put up rules to make sure drivers are fit to drive dude!!
The only thing our low standard MP is penalty (same with wasting time in the color of the shoes and not SOLVING the problem)
Useless as there’s little to no enforcement. I reported quite a few cases to JPJ but I don’t even know if they did take action against the offender.
But motorbike riders are exempted even if they beat red lights, ride under influence of drugs, no license and road tax and no insurance, reckless riding between cars even during jams….
They like to cut in front of the car, hard brake and look back to the other lane before cutting again. When you hard brake, it causes a chain reaction for the car behind to jam brake all the way to the moon.
just ram on those look-back-idiot-road bully..think they are so big ah? but make sure they don’t die..haha..just a little kiss on their tail lamp will be enough..give them some asphalt for lunch or dinner will be great
What is the point if you keep giving discounts? Nobody will respect the law la brother
Very correct. They need to act more like banks… outsourced debt collectors.
Do first then talk, dumb Loke. In the first place you allowed superdark tinting so how would police or JPJ catch those who drink and drive recklessly? Put up roadblocks at every junction? Use brainlah Loke!
I was thinking the same…
First the government reduces the penalty for Vice, anti-vice police is removed… then tinting limits are removed…
What has Malaysian Roads become?
The Wild Wild West becoz our gomen is a koboi gomen.
I was against this the whole time. When the lights turn green, you won’t be able to see if there is another car in front of the front car hogging or just the front car’s driver looking at his handphone and deserves a horn.
There are many drivers have color blindness on the road thanks to guarantee pass package they took last time.
There are also many drivers with poor eyesight driving on the road.
Yes please! Also please impose higher punishments for motorcyclists who breaks the law. Beating traffic lights, ride irresponsibly on lanes they shouldn’t be in and illegal modification or unworthy/unsafe condition of their bike on our roads. Please do something with our traffic enforcements, get them out rather than sit in the office all day gaji buta
If more people would drive the new Bezza with NA/NT safety technology, accidents would drop 87%.
But driving unsafe Bezza raises death tolls by 87%…
whatever technology your car fitted could not stop human error causing road crashes
we should have these drunk drivers to be jailed for life at minimum
Perhaps we should put more effort improve our driving lessons and licensing procedure, tighten the licensing requirements!
Yes, currently driving ethics are at a very low level.
Understatement of the year award to you, sir.
i recommend death penalty
Pre-approved loan for the offender of RM1 mil to the victims’s family and let the offender settle it throughout his life.
Heavier penalties? After that, end of year got 30% discount! What a joke!
No more discounts. Hire independent debt collectors to get the money.
Everyday 10 motorcyclist die in the roads in Malaysia and countless suffer permanent disability according to official statistics. They run red lights, drive opt-out m opposite lane, break speed limit, carry children and themselves with no helmet. No law applies to motorcycles. The government practices a self limiting death penalty population control system for motorcyclists.
Please no u-turn. Please no u-turn. Please no u-turn. Or else you will be a laughing stock.
what about those rempits….both rich and not rich ones
My brother in law was hit on his motorbike by a drunk driver from behind at a red traffic light. The same happened to my wife in her car shortly before. In Denmark or the Netherlands, the car of the offender is confiscated and will be sold on a public auction. Possibly a way to stop drunk driving here too?
You are everywhere…
Reading news about you is like flipping through a comic book…Why don’t you study and bring it up to cabinet first instead of making wishful announcements about your wishful thoughts?
10 announcement a month doesn’t equate to 10 implementations. The sooner you accept that fact, the lower the chance of you being voted as the Menteri NATO.
We don’t need heavier penalties. What we need is enforcement; heavier penalties and no enforcement will not change anything. Judicial system must also improve and be efficient – quick action. Also better salaries and better laws to protect the enforcers and to reduce bribery.
In Malaysia, “nothing is illegal unless getting caught”.
Who do you expect to catch, if the enforcement officers are sleeping on their job, or one-eye-close attitude?
Heck, nothing serious has been done to catch vehicles with heavy tints of the windows. Just drive around KL and see the cars around you. Big, small, old, new cars all with dark-tinting…thinking themselves like VIP pasengers.
Can I advice you something, Ah Loke? Go drive around KL and see it yourself lah. Solve the existing problems before opening another can of worms.
welcome to malaysia..the smartest way to solve a problem is let the problem live forever..just add little bit promise to review the problem..then be quiet until viral again
You can have as many road laws as you like, BUT there is no point to them if, for the majority of the , there is nobody on the road to enforce those laws.
I’m living in Ipoh and was out everyday during the CNY break. Without any exaggeration I did not see one police car or police motor bike officer on the roads!! That statement is not a lie, I can assure you of that.
About 5 minutes drive from my house is a local police station and anytime I pass there, no matter whether it is a holiday period or regular working day, there are 4 or 5 police motor bikes parked at the station. These should be out on the roads almost 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!
Something needs to be done and be done FAST, otherwise we will still be having these conversations in 5, 10 and 30 years time.
Enough of the gentle approach to this huge problem, it is now time to come down very hard on offenders. It is the ONLY way they will accept that they are in the wrong.