Friday April 18, 2008
Whipping for illegal road racers
By KULDEEP S. JESSY
Mat Rempits and other would be illegal racers, beware!
KUALA LUMPUR: Habitual illegal road racers and Mat Rempits will face whipping under proposed amendments to the Road Transport Act 1987.
Federal Traffic chief Senior Asst Comm II Datuk Hamza Taib warned that once the amendments became law, they may be given three strokes of the rotan.
Those who are underage could face up to 100 hours of community service under the supervision of the Welfare Department.
Currently, police charge those involved in illegal racing under Section 42 (1) of the Act, which carries a maximum RM15,000 fine or not more than five years’ jail, and a two-year suspension of the driving licence.
Under the proposed Section 42 (A), illegal racers can be jailed for up to five years and fined not less than RM5,000, and have their licences suspended for three years for a first offence.
“The penalty for second-time offenders would be a minimum of 10 years’ jail, three strokes of the rotan, not less than RM10,000 fine, and not less than a five-year suspension of the driving licence,” SAC Hamza told reporters after Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan launched the Public Bank-police safety campaign, to address the Mat Rempit problem among youths, in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
A proposed Section 42 (A)(B) would also allow the police to seize the motorcycles used and for the machines to be disposed of once a conviction is obtained.
However, a proposal to take action against spectators under the same Act was rejected by the committee chaired by the Transport Ministry.
SAC Hamza said police would also take action against organisers of illegal racing under existing preventive laws.
2008/04/18 (NST)
Whipping, longer jail term for Mat Rempit proposed
By : Alang BendaharaKUALA LUMPUR: Habitual illegal street racers or Mat Rempit will face whipping as well as a maximum 10-year imprisonment under proposed amendments by police to the Road Transport Act 1987.
At present, he said, those who were involved in illegal race were charged under Section 42 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which carries a maximum RM15,000 fine or not more than five years' jail, and a two-year suspension of the driving licence.
The proposed new Section 42 (A) for first-time offenders provides the same jail sentence but a minimum fine of RM5,000 and a three-year suspension of licence.
For repeat offenders, the penalty is a maximum of 10 years' jail, three strokes of rotan, a mandatory RM10,000 fine and a mandatory five-year suspension of the driving licence.
Another new sub-section, Section 42 (A) (B) of the act, will allow police to seize motorcycles which would be disposed of with or without a court order once offenders are convicted of the offence.
Speaking after the launch of the Anda Bijak, Anda Selamat road safety campaign organised by Public Bank here yesterday, Hamza said police had also wanted to act against spectators of illegal races but it was rejected by a committee chaired by the Transport Ministry.
"The proposal was dropped as there would be problems in differentiating between spectators and passers-by."
He said police would gather information on illegal race organisers and would forward the case files to Bukit Aman and the Home Ministry for action.
Action against them included sending them to the Sim-pang Renggam detention centre or putting them under restricted residence, he added.
On Wednesday, the Kuantan Magistrate Court sentenced illegal street racer Ahmad Afzal Sabari Zumadi, 28, to two years' jail, fine of RM6,000 and a two-year suspension of his licence.
Present during the road safety campaign launch was Federal Internal Security and Public Order director Datuk Hussin Ismail, who commended Public Bank for helping police educate school children on the dangers of illegal street racing.
Public Bank founder and chairman Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow said the bank would distribute 50,000 copies of the Road User Information Guide to schools through the Education Ministry.
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