Ethnic Rohingyas are not eligible for Malaysian driving licenses due to their status as refugees. JPJ Kelantan director Mohd Misuari Abdullah said that the card issued by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNCHR), which many Rohingyas have, is not an official identification document that is eligible to apply for a driving license.
However, throughout the enforcement operations, JPJ have not come across Rohingyas with valid driving licenses, said Mohd Misuari, who denied the existence of alleged syndicates that assist foreigners in getting valid driving licenses. He added that the modus operandi frequently used by that community when stopped at roadblocks, is to present their UNHCR card to gain sympathy.
To put a stop to the growing trend of foreigners driving without valid lesen, JPJ Kelantan is ramping up enforcement in the areas of Kota Bharu, Ketereh, Melor, Pasir Tumboh and Tanah Merah. Mohd Misuari told Bernama that of the 576 vehicles driven by foreigners and detected by JPJ this month, 457 were seized and 908 summonses issued.
“JPJ Kelantan is also giving a strong warning to locals who rent to, or allow their vehicles to be used by Rohingyas without licenses,” he said, adding that the vehicle owners will not just be issued a compound, but will be hauled to court under Section 23(2) of the Road Transport Act 1987. Kelantan is among the first states to do this.
Recently, it was reported that 85% of the foreigners caught in Operasi Pemandu Warga Asing in Kelantan from January till June 18 were ethnic Rohingyas. JPJ in neighbouring state Terengganu is also clamping down on the issue.
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