The Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333) has been amended, with the Road Transport (Amendment) Bill 2026 having been passed in parliament yesterday following the second and third readings of the bill by transport minister Anthony Loke. The bill, which introduces 41 amendments to Act 333, was passed by voice vote in the Dewan Rakyat.
Speaking during the winding-up debate on the bill, he said the changes are aimed at strengthening authorities’ regulatory and enforcement powers. The legislation contains a wide range of provisions covering tougher enforcement measures, micromobility rules, the digitalisation of road transport department services, action against “tonto” informants and enhancements to road safety measures.
The amendments also include the move to increase the maximum compound rate for a number of traffic-related offences from RM300 to RM500, with the enforcement of this new maximum compound rate set to commence on January 1, 2029, and also introduces a new section that criminalises illegal street racing, a move Loke said is aimed at preventing accidents, injuries and deaths. Under the new Section 42A, racing or speed-testing involving two or more motor vehicles on public roads will become a specific offence.
He said the new provision would allow enforcement action to be taken against those engaged in racing or speed-testing on public roads without having to wait for a crash, injury or fatality to occur. “The main purpose of Section 42A is to enable early enforcement action against racing or speed-testing activities on public roads. This amendment closes a loophole in the existing law,” he said.
He stressed that the law was intended to target competitive racing and dangerous speed challenges rather than isolated instances of speeding or overtaking, and said the amendment was necessary given Malaysia’s road safety challenges, in which 6,537 people were killed in road accidents in 2025. Of that number, 4,340 deaths, or 66.4%, involved motorcyclists and their passengers.
At the same time, Loke said the government agreed that illegal racing could not be addressed through punishment alone, and that young people with an interest in motorsports should be provided with legal and safer alternatives, as The Star reports.
He said the transport ministry was open to working with the youth and sports ministry, rural and regional development ministry and housing and local government ministry as well as state governments, local councils and the private sector to explore the development of community race tracks, temporary venues and talent development programmes. “Young people who have an interest and talent in motorsports should be channelled into legal, controlled and safe activities,” he said.
However, he stressed that the provision of race tracks should not be viewed as a licence to race on public roads. “Public roads remain not a racing circuit,” he said, adding that Section 42A would not just apply to motorcycles but to all motor vehicles involved in illegal racing, including ordinary cars, luxury vehicles and high-performance cars, as tragedies involving high-powered vehicles had shown that illegal racing was not confined to “mat rempit” groups.
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Sure too a long time to sort this mess out. Those riding without license should have vehicles confiscated.
A fine of RM500 is just a slap on the offender’s wrist.With all those stupid rebates no one give a damn to pay fast.
Today,u just wait at any traffic junction.At least half of the riders will speed past a red light.
JPJ or PDRM no need go far.Just station at any traffic light junction.Thousands of saman ,I guarantee u.
…. that many of these bikers have low incomes, and therefore, the confiscation of their bikes & being issued with summons & fines by the authorities for breaking the law are more like punches in their faces than slaps on their wrists. In addition, someone going by the name “berhati2 dijalanraya” has written in this comment section that, if running the red light leads to an accident or a fatality, offenders can be charged under Section 41(1) for reckless or dangerous driving, which carries heavier mandatory prison terms and heftier fines, in accordance to the Road Transport Act 1987
“We will gather to protest in upcoming convoy this Saturday”, Balik Pulau youth chief.
Shoot them on sight.
Educate them, then shoot them.
Thank you minister. Waiting for MCA, this will never happen, they care about the votes only.
.. that there are also other paultan.org articles which show that the cops are actually serious in dealing with these errant 2-wheel road menace.
https://paultan.org/2025/10/14/gombak-police-inspects-124-students-riding-bikes-93-summons-issued-in-two-hour-op-in-rawang/
https://paultan.org/2026/01/02/kl-police-seize-motorcycles-with-tayar-sotong-no-rear-brakes-loud-exhaust-in-ops-samseng-jalanan/
Cutting red lights at junctions, criss-crossing on the road mostly cutting from the right instead of staying on the left when taking lesen moto exams. Looks like 80% don’t know this becos no lesen in the first place. Dunno how GRAB hires them when this is a requirement for Grab car drivers.
I saw a lot of female riders when i did my orders. When the delivery came, the riders were males. This means they will use the relative, wife, girlfriend’s license to register the job.
It’s called Education, or lack thereof.
very bad news for malays, how will they spend their free time if not illegal racing and endangering other people???
It does not matter what race. We are past that topic.
A loud exhaust on a Yamaha/Kawasaki/Honda does not discriminate. It will still pierce your thin eardrums.
It’s called Education, or lack thereof.
Useless if there are zero enforcement since polis trafik busy ferrying escorting vips
.. to first properly check or research the facts before you simply comment without using your brain.
Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which you regard as a ‘blablabla’ law, covers all motor vehicles, not only just ‘lorry punishment’. This means that motorcycle riders are also subject to this law. Also, in the above-mentioned Tawau court case, the offender works as a lorry driver, but he was not driving a lorry when he had an accident with a motorcyclist. Therefore, it’s clear that you did not use your brain to read this news article thoroughly & thus jumbled up the facts. Anyway, this news article serves to dispel your brainless notion that Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 is a ‘blablabla’ law that carries no weight.
apa pasal ada banyak siaran ulangan ni?
all this but zero enforcement aint mean shoe
.. u should have kept it awake when posting comments. hopefully it should finally be awake after reading this paultan.org article.
https://paultan.org/2026/06/18/mat-rempit-to-be-clamped-down-soon-with-heavier-punishments-for-road-racing-and-speeding/
Let us also tackle this issue from the source. Which is amongst many other reasons, availability of those parts for the mods.
One of many ways, make it a crime to manufacture, distribute and install these “accessories” that enable those mods?
Just food for thoughts
the source is education my friend.
these things are all symptoms of a larger issue.
They always have the option not to “enforce” like the illegal roadside parking on certain day of the week and bare head bike riding near kampung.
Is there any provision for Tail Gating, cutting left on emergency lanes (not smart lanes), queue jumping, hogging fast lanes and refuse to move left . these are the reason many get triggered and end up “racing” or raging
Yes, it’s called Education, or lack thereof.