Recently, amendments to the Road Transport Act 1987 have been proposed to the House, and will be enforced if agreed upon by the cabinet, and passed within the Dewan Rakyat.
These proposed amendments include harsher penalties for drunk driving, and even higher penalties for recidivists. According to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, the gist of the amendments include first time offenders facing heavier penalties such as 15 years imprisonment in jail and a RM100,000 fine (the current penalties for a first time offender include 10 years imprisonment, and a fine of RM20,000). Among these changes, Wee also stated that "We are also looking at increasing the period of license suspension from 10 years to 20 years.”, which would drastically increase the license suspension period for offenders.
The New Straits Times has also reported that “Earlier this year former Transport Minister Anthony Loke (DAP - Seremban) said the ministry was looking into following the World Health Organisation's (WHO) standard for blood alcohol content (BAC) in Malaysia.”.
Although the amendments to the Road Transport Act 1987 have not been enacted yet, there is still a very distinct possibility that it may, especially since Malaysia (the Malay Mail) has already faced 1,147 drunk driving related deaths during the period of 2011-2018. Due to the nature of drink driving as an issue, it would always be a wise choice to purchase a personal breathalyzer for yourself so that you can check you and your loved ones BAC levels before driving.
Remember, don’t drink and drive- it’s not worth it. If you'd like to read more on Alcohol Consumption in Malaysia, check out our multiple blogposts relating to all things breathalyzer and drug testing kit related.
References:
- 20 years in jail, RM150k fine await drunk drivers, says Dr. Wee [NSTTV], “https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2020/07/608843/20-years-jail-rm150k-fine-await-drunk-drivers-says-dr-wee-nsttv”
- Road Transport Act 1987, “http://www.agc.gov.my/agcportal/uploads/files/Publications/LOM/EN/Act%20333%20-%20Road%20Transport%20Act%201987.pdf”
- Malaysia's drink driving problem: How big is it? What the numbers actually say, “https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2020/06/11/malaysias-drink-driving-problem-how-big-is-it-what-the-numbers-actually-say/1874350”
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general reference only. Please seek advice from professionals according to your business’s needs.
Written by Eugene Ng
