Law enforcement authorities use various devices to capture evidence of motorists breaking laws and during the coming Hari Raya holidays, the JPJ (Road Transport Department) has over 120 cameras which will be used to catch offenders. And these cameras will not be in fixed locations as they will be on mobile patrol motorcycles which can be anywhere.
The JPJ officers will have GoPro Max 360 cameras mounted on their helmets as they patrol areas identified as hotspots. They will be looking out for 9 specific offences which are found to be the causes of fatal accidents on the road. These include not wearing a seatbelt or crash helmet, overtaking on double lines, not stopping at red traffic lights, using a mobilephone while driving, overtaking on the left side, using the emergency lane on highways, and overloading (although heavy commercial vehicles are banned on certain days).
The camera-equipped officers are involved in Op Musim Perayaan Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2022 which will be on until May 9. Video footage collected will be used as evidence for charging motorists with offences, but the JPJ will first summon them for questioning. As mentioned by the Transport Minister earlier, certain summonses will not be compoundable even if the offenders admit guilt and want to just pay the fine. They will have to go to court to have their case heard, which can be an inconvenience.
Using a mobilephone while driving is a serious offence. If found guilty, there can be fines of up to RM1,000 or up to 3 months in jail. Get caught for the same offence a second-time and the fine can go up to RM2,000 with jail time of up to 6 months as well. The offence is non-compoundable and must be heard in court.
Meanwhile, the police have changed their mind about detaining motorists who are found to have outstanding summonses or warrants of arrest. The Deputy IGP had earlier said that the police would use the iCOPS devices to run checks on motorists who are stopped. Those with warrants of arrest and outstanding summonses will be immediately detained on the road and taken to the nearest police station for the process of bail documentation and would then be asked to attend court for further action,” he said.
Then a few days later, Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT) Director, Datuk Mat Kasim Karim, said that no action would be taken during Op Selamat ‘as the police want to ensure road-users return home to their families safely’.
“We would like to stress that detaining or arresting a person is not the aim of JSPT during Op Selamat this time,” he said. “The police have many ways of detaining an offender, but the timing has to be appropriate.”
Anyway, regardless of whether or not action will be taken on the spot or later, the important thing is not to commit any offences. Everyone needs to do their part to ensure road safety so observe speed limits and other laws.
Have a safe journey and remember that being late is better than not arriving at all.
Australia is one of the countries which recognizes a Malaysian driving licence and allows Malaysian drivers to drive or ride vehicles there without requiring them to take any local tests and obtain a driving licence. This privilege is, however, only for short-term visitors like tourists and those who stay longer (eg students or who are working) would have to get a driving licence for the state they are in.
Alternatively, an International Driving Permit (IDP) can also be used, and this document issued by the JPJ is also recognized in most countries. Having an IDP can sometimes be easier as a Malaysian driving licence might not be readily recognized.
A 26-year old Malaysian woman who has been living in the Australian state of New South Wales must have thought that she could get away showing a fake driving licence when stopped by the police for exceeding the speed limit. She may have assumed that the police would not be able to check on the authenticity of the licence as it was from another country, and at most she would get fined for the speeding offence with her Honda Accord.
The fake Malaysian driving licence and the car (below) driven by the Malaysian woman which was stopped for exceeding the speed limit by 13 km/h. Both images from NSW Traffic & Highway Patrol Command.
However, for some reason, the police decided to check the licence (which shows qualification for both Full B and D classes) more closely and in this age of internet connectivity, they could immediately visit the website of the Malaysian Road Transport Department (JPJ) which has information on such matters. According to the NSW Traffic & Highway Patrol Command, there were inconsistencies found in the licence she presented which led to her being interrogated further.
During the interview by the police, the woman revealed that she had asked someone to make the licence. And in an effort to try to minimize her offence, she then showed a Learner Driver’s License for New South Wales. This instead got her charged with another 3 offences for: a) not being accompanied by licensed driver/police officer or tester; b) not displaying ‘L’ plates as required; and c) exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 km/h. She had been travelling at 113 km/h zone with a speed limit of 100 km/h.
The Australian police are very strict about their traffic laws and breaking speed limits is considered a serious offence.
Following her admission of the licence being fake, the police contacted Interpol in Malaysia and received confirmation that the licence she had was a fake. This meant she committed the offence of ‘possessing a false document to influence exercise public duty’, for which she has been convicted at a local court recently.
Victims of the recent floods will face major expenses on repairs and replacing many things. It is going to be a stressful time for everyone, and each will have suffered in varying degrees. Both the government and private sector are doing whatever they can to ease the burden. Apart from providing financial and other forms of aid for the affected, there are also special provisions made for motorists whose vehicles or documents were damaged or lost.
Free replacement of JPJ documents
The JPJ will not charge for replacement of driving licences, Motor Vehicle Licences and Vehicle Ownership Certificates for those affected by the floods. They must however make a police report first which must then accompany their application. Anyone who loses the original documents will need to bring a copy of the police report or Disaster Victim Registration Form issued by the District Office or the Social Welfare Department as evidence.
JPJ Mobile Service van
Meanwhile, the police advise owners of flood-damaged vehicles to make the police reports themselves and not use third parties (such as workshop or tow-truck representatives). They should make sure they have pictures of their vehicles to show the condition as well as the details of the tow-truck company and where the vehicle was taken to.
Specific coverage for floods necessary
While specific flood coverage is needed to make a claim from insurance companies, a police report will protect a vehicle owner so that the workshop and tow-truck company are on record.
Regarding insurance claims, many will not be able to claim from insurance companies if they do not have specific coverage for flood damage. Such cover is not typically included in comprehensive insurance policies and is an optional add-on for an extra charge. In many cases, motorists regret not doing so and then make sure they add it but unfortunately, the damage is already done this time. So do give serious thought to this additional coverage. It used to be thought that living on the west coast is fairly safe as the major floods are on the East Coast but with climate change and other new conditions, it appears that even the west coast is likely to see flooding in future.
Standard insurance coverage does not cover floods and motorists can add on such coverage (including windscreen damage) for an extra charge.
ETIQA waives police report requirement
With any insurance claim, a police report is required to confirm damage and other details which the police will investigate. The same applies to claims for flood damage repairs. However, for motorists who have ETIQA as their insurance company and have Special Peril coverage (which includes floods) with their insurance policy, the police report requirement is not necessary. The owner should take pictures of the vehicle at the scene of flooding and the numberplate must be visible.
This waiver came into effect from December 18, 2021 and will remain effective until further notice. So that’s one less headache if you are an ETIQA policyholder but it is only for those affected by floods.
Allianz goes to affected areas
As for other companies, many have assured their policyholders that they will process claims as fast as possible. Allianz, for example, has positioned Allianz-branded 4x4s and a team of adjusters on stand-by in Selangor and Pahang to attend to customers promptly. The 4x4s and Claims Caravan will be routinely deployed to other locations in other affected states to enable a swift and seamless claims process.
A Ford Ranger used by the Allianz team enables personnel to reach many areas in affected states to help process claims faster.
While most will think motorists with passenger cars suffering flood damage, commercial vehicles are also affected. Perhaps the bigger ones might not be damaged but there will be many vans and lorries at depots which are likely to have been flooded. They will need repairs too and being important in the logistics industry, they need to be back in operation as quickly as possible so that much-needed food and other items to help victims can be transported.
Keeping transportation industry moving
“The transportation industry is essential and among the more vital economic activities for a business; having a single vehicle off the road for a period of time would cause some sizeable impact,“ said Arman Mahadi, Managing Director of the Daihatsu Malaysia Group which sells a large number of commercial vehicles.
For this reason, the company has initiated the Daihatsu Flood Relief Program which aims to increase fleet uptime in running an efficient operation and ensuring business remains profitable. “The company is deeply saddened and concerned over the well-being of those hit by the disaster. Therefore, we have a business operation recovery process specifically for our Daihatsu owners and corporate fleet customers,“ he said.
Available to all owners of Daihatsu vehicles affected and damaged by the floods, the Daihatsu Flood Relief Program started on December 22 and will be on till February 28, 2022. Available at all authorized Daihatsu service centres nationwide, owners can get a Towing Service Subsidy of up to RM100, up to 40% off selected spare parts with a 1-year /20,000-km warranty (whichever comes first), 20% off on labour services and free vehicle inspection and Door-to-door Daihatsu Mobile Service. Some terms and conditions apply, and the Mobile Service team is subject to availability and location.
Menteri Pengangkutan, Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong mengumumkn bahawa Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) akan menawarkan diskaun 70 peratus bayaran kompaun.
Diskaun tersebut ditawarkan bermula 13 April hingga 13 Jun 2021 kepada 3.5 juta kompaun yang telah pun dikeluarkan setakat ini.
Menurut Wee Ka Siong, diskaun tersebut akan memberi peluang kepada pengguna jalan raya yang tidak dapat memperbaharui lesen memandu dan cukai jalan ekoran tunggakan saman dan kompaun.
“Sebagai contoh, pengguna jalan raya hanya perlu membayar RM45 bagi saman bernilai RM150,” jelasnya.
As in 2020 when the first Movement Control Order (MCO) restricted movements to the extent that even government offices had to shut down, the Ministry of Transport Malaysia has announced that renewal of driving licences need not be done if they expire between February 1 until March 31, 2021.
This is in view of the travel restrictions which presently limit people to a range of 10 kms from their homes, and also to reduce crowds at the JPJ offices. Unless another announcement is made, renewal will have to be done within 30 days from March 31, 2021.
This exemption is, however, not for those with commercial vehicle and vocational licences (GDL and PSV). They can still renew their licences as they are classified under Essential Services.
While renewal of the driving licence can be deferred, the vehicle must still have valid insurance. A copy of the insurance e-cover note must be available for inspection if requested by an authority. Valid coverage is important in the event of an accident.
Many insurance companies will be able to provide renewal services online, and companies like MyEG also handle renewals of driving licences and roadtax online. They can deliver the documents to an address provided for a small fee.
MYEG, the online service which provides e-government services, is adding new services provided for the JPJ (Road Transport Department) with the introduction of online renewal of Motorcycle Road Tax and Competent Driving License (CDL).
Scheduled to be available from October 9 (October 16 for CDL renewal), these new services will complement other existing JPJ-related services that Malaysian vehicle users have utilised for their transactions.
Insurance renewal also available
Besides easier renewing of motorcycle roadtax and CDL online, registered users will also be able to access an array of related value-added offerings on MYEG’s portal. These include motorcycle insurance renewal and delivery services for the roadtax and CDL right to the doorstep of the user.
As the concessionaire for the Malaysian e-Government services, MYEG has been JPJ’s Service Provider for multiple online services since 2007. It offers services ranging from renewal of Motorcar Road Tax, Summons Checking and Payment, Computerised Drivers’ Theory Testing and Transfer of Vehicle Ownership.
MYEG’s online services have been especially valuable nowadays with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. By using online services, the public do not have to visit the JPJ or other government agencies for many transactions, thereby avoiding social closeness that can allow the coronavirus to spread.
Have you renewed you roadtax/driving licence?
Incidentally, if your vehicle’s roadtax or your driving licence have expired since the beginning of the Movement Control Order (MCO) in March, you should be aware that the allowance for non-renewal ended on September 30. The government had allowed it in view of the restrictions and to reduce crowding at JPJ offices.
Now that all vehicles and motorists must have valid and renewed roadtax and licences, the police and JPJ enforcement teams are conducting checks at roadblocks. So if you need to do the renewal, you can do so right away by going to the MYEG website to do so.
PLUS Malaysia Bhd has established an RTD Enforcement Highway Monitoring Centre (Highway Enforcement Unit) as one of the ways to improve safety on its highways. The facility, opened on July 1 this year in collaboration with the Road Transport Department (RTD), is located at the old Jelapang Toll Plaza Supervision Building near Ipoh, Perak.
The control centre, located at KM268, on the North-South Expressway will provide faster access onto the highway to manage traffic incidences and improve safety. It also regulates all Highway Enforcement Unit activities at four major enforcement zones.
Since 2018, PLUS has provided four offices for the Highway Enforcement Unit at R&R Pagoh in Johor, R&R Dengkil in Selangor, and R&R Gunung Semanggol, besides the latest Enforcement Highway Monitoring Centre, in Ipoh.
“PLUS continuously explores new approaches and ideas to improve safety on our highways to help our customers enjoy safer and more convenient travel. Apart from focusing on engineering and education aspects through road safety advocacy programmes, we also look at law enforcement aspects by collaborating with enforcement agencies such as the RTD to improve safety on the highways,” said PLUS Chief Operating Officer, Zakaria Ahmad Zabidi.
“At the same time, the presence of JPJ enforcement officers on our highway mainline is crucial in addressing issues relating to heavy vehicles such as the use of low-quality rethreaded tyres, overloaded and improperly secured consignment and so on. Based on our data, most of the obstacles found on the highway which consist of tyre fragments, wood, iron scraps or debris and many more originated from heavy vehicles, pose a threat to our customers,” he added.
During the official opening ceremony, PLUS and RTD also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a strategic collaboration involving operations and enforcement to improve safety on the PLUS highway.
According to Dato’ Sri Shaharuddin, RTD’s Director-General, the initiative that has been carried out between PLUS and the RTD is a strategic and smart partnership which is the key to improving the safety and well-being of the people.
“PLUS proves its role as a good ‘Rakan Negara’ in helping RTD to enhance the level of safety and enforcement on the highway. PLUS’ contribution and various initiatives to ensure the safety of its customers have been globally recognized by winning the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award in December 2019 and was recently ranked as the number one top performing closed toll highway in terms of safety and comfort by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS),” added Dato’ Sri Shaharuddin.
According to the Transport Minister, there are over 4.2 million registered vehicles which have not had their roadtax renewed. Many of these would have the roadtax expired for more than a year, which means that if they wish to use the vehicle on public roads again, it will have to be sent to Puspakom for a roadworthiness inspection first.
Now, that requirement has been abolished for vehicles registered for private use by individuals. No Puspakom inspection will be required for vehicles which have not had their roadtax renewed for up to three years.
A car undergoing inspection at PUSPAKOM
Announcing this, the Transport Minister said that the change is in response to requests from vehicle owners. Particularly at this time when the COVID-19 pandemic has affected many financially, removing the vehicle inspection requirement can help to save some money. Perhaps some of those affected have old cars in the house and now want to use them again as they do not want to avoid public transport.
However, the exemption from inspections does not apply to commercial vehicles which, in any case, are subject to periodic mandatory inspections to ensure they are in a safe condition for use.
Discount period extended to end September
Meanwhile, the discount of up to 70% offered for summonses has been extended. It was originally up to the end of August but will not still be available until September 30,2020. The discount given applies to all compoundable summonses issued by the JPJ and the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) but not those issued by the police.
Again, the move is aimed at helping those who are in a difficult situation at this time and need to have a licence to work in jobs like e-hailing or food delivery. In some cases, not settling a summons would mean they are blacklisted and cannot renew their licence. Nevertheless, they still have to pay for the offence if they committed it.
In case you missed the news, if you have any outstanding summonses from the Road Transport Department (JPJ) or Land Public Transport Department (now known as APAD instead of SPAD), you can save some money if you settle before the end of this month.
In conjunction with the upcoming Merdeka Day celebrations, the agencies are offering a 70% discount for all summonses during August 2020. This discount is for all compoundable summonses issued by the JPJ and APAD under the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333), Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board Act 1987 (Act 334) and Land Public Transport Act 2010(Act 715). Summonses issued by the police are not included in this discount offer.
The discount is offered for speeding offences recorded by AES cameras.
The offences covered include drunk driving, exceeding speed limits as recorded by the AES cameras,and also vehicles which are found to be in a condition that is not roadworthy. Depending on the nature of the offence, the compound fine can be up a maximum of RM300.
If you are blacklisted, this is an opportunity for you to sort the matter out. However, you will need to personally visit a JPJ branch to resolve the matter and then make payment (the discount will still be allowed). For other road-users, payments can be made at JPJ offices or online portals.
Note that a summons does not mean you are guilty of the offence. If you read the wording, you will find that it informs you that you have been sighted committing an offence (which will be specified). If you believe you are not guilty, you have a right to challenge the charge in court. However, if you agree that you are guilty, then you just pay the compound fine, saving time for all parties.
Incidentally, in Ipoh, Perak, the city council is also offering motorists a discount on offences related to parking. The discounts range from 30% and 50%.
During the Movement Control Period (MCO), virtually all business activities were suspended in Malaysia and for motorists, things like roadtax renewal or transfers of vehicle ownership could not be done as the JPJ (Road Transport Department) was closed.
However, for vehicles that had expired roadtax during the MCP period, the government said that there will be no penalty and the owner could continue using the vehicles on public roads (the same applied to expired driving licences). But insurance coverage is needed at all times.
With the Recovery MCO implemented, the Transport Ministry is telling motorists that they need to renew their expired driving licences, roadtax and insurance as quickly as possible. JPJ records show that over 2 million vehicles registered in Malaysian have expired roadtaxes so there is going to be ‘congestion’ as owners apply for renewals.
To help address this as well as an alarming number of uninsured vehicles on the road, Zurich General Insurance Malaysia Berhad is collaborating with Finology Sdn Bhd and their affiliate partner PayLink Global (M) Sdn Bhd (Payquik) to provide roadtax renewal services and motor insurance purchase via Payquik’s network of kiosks which are the first of its kind in Malaysia.
Through this strategic collaboration, motorists will be able to review their roadtax or purchase motor insurance coverage easily for cars and motorcycles. There are approximately 250 Payquik kiosks available nationwide, located primarily in the offices of utility companies, shopping malls and government buildings so Malaysians can access them while running errands such as paying bills or grocery shopping.
Junior Cho, Zurich General Insurance’s CEO, said: “We are constantly seeking fresh solutions that would meet the market’s evolving needs. Modern lifestyles have fueled the growing demand for convenience and ease of purchasing goods and services. As economic activities resume, we understand the importance of roadtax renewal, as well as motor insurance so Malaysians can commute to work with peace of mind as the renewal exemption period ends. This three-way collaboration with Finology and Payquik will provide wider access for drivers as well as riders to obtain the service and protection they need in a fast and easy manner.”
According to the 2018 statistics from JPJ, there are about 29 million registered vehicles in Malaysia. Out of this, only 19 million vehicles have their roadtax renewed every year and about 95% of those with expired roadtax are motorcycles.
”One might ask why a service kiosk is necessary if people have the option of paying online now. The reality is that there are still customers who prefer to pay with cash or who do not own a credit card. This means that these people do not have sufficient access to the necessary financial services online,” explained Jared Lim, MD of Finology. “Enabling motor insurance purchasing and road tax renewal through kiosks is a great alternative to paying online or over the counter. Plus, these kiosks are available 24 hours, allowing customers to make purchase or renewal at their convenience.”
The latest collaboration is a joint effort to promote financial inclusion and offer Malaysians comprehensive coverage while on the road. In 2019, Zurich and Finology collaborated to offer customers end-to-end online insurance quotation and purchase services via Finology’s platform.
