The move to amend the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333) to provide for heavier punishment against reckless drivers and those driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is getting support because it transcends racial, religious and political interests, said Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
He said, a survey involving more than 345,000 respondents showed that 94 per cent of them supported the proposal to impose heavier penalties by way of fines, jail terms and disqualification from driving.
Wee said, he had also received messages from his friends in the opposition expressing support for the move to mete out heavier punishment on offenders.
In an interview in conjunction with his first 100 days as transport minister recently, he said the ministry was updating the relevant sections of the Act to make the proposed amendments.
The draft of the amendments had been sent to the Attorney-General's Chambers and would be tabled at the Cabinet meeting in two weeks’ time, he added.
The amendment bill will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat next month, he said.
Under Section 45A (1) of the Road Transport Act, anyone caught drink-driving can be fined between RM1,000 and RM6,000 or jailed up to 12 months.
For fatal accidents caused by drink-driving, offenders can be charged under Section 44 of the Act, which provides for a maximum fine of RM10,000 and jail term of up to 12 months.
Wee said, despite public calls for drunk drivers in fatal accident cases to be punished with the death sentence or charged with murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code, the government would not tackle the issue hastily and would be guided by the principles of law.
According to him, Section 302 requires the prosecution to prove in court that the drunk driver concerned had the intention to kill.
"We don’t want them to go scot-free due to the failure to prove intention. We have to go by the principles of law; we may be angry but we should not act hastily,” he said.
Wee said, the government was prepared to lower the permissible alcohol content levels for defining drink-driving, which now stand at 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath, 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood or 107 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of urine.
"Many countries use the minimum levels set by the World Health Organisation (WHO), that is 0.05g/dl, and some want the alcohol content of drivers to be at zero per cent but this is difficult because if we drink cough medicine, for example, it will show alcohol reading and this matter needs to be fine-tuned,” he said.
Wee said, the government is in the midst of reviewing laws to ensure the welfare of drink-driving crash victims’ next-of-kin is well taken care of.
He said, the previous plan by the Transport Ministry on the mandatory use of child safety seats in vehicles would not be abolished but the approach to be adopted would be reviewed. - BERNAMA
Bernama
Sun Jun 14 2020
According to Wee Ka Siong, the ministry was updating the relevant sections of the Act to make the proposed amendments. - Filepic
AWANI Ringkas: Mangsa di PPS terus meningkat
Ikuti rangkuman berita utama yang menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari di Astro AWANI menerusi AWANI Ringkas.
Nilai pasaran bintang JDT, Arif Aiman bakal melonjak
Dua gol jaringan Arif Aiman dalam aksi ACLE 2024/25 menentang Shanghai Port membuktikan kemampuan dimiliki pemain berusia 22 tahun itu di pentas Asia.
#AWANIRingkas 21 September 2024 | 9 AM
Berikut merupakan rangkuman berita setakat 9 pagi 21 September 2024
1️⃣ Perkembangan banjir di Kedah
2️⃣ SZB catat peningkatan trafik
3️⃣ Unga Ke-79
#awaniringkas
1️⃣ Perkembangan banjir di Kedah
2️⃣ SZB catat peningkatan trafik
3️⃣ Unga Ke-79
#awaniringkas
AWANI Pagi: Kepentingan industri pelancongan kepada Wilayah Persekutuan
AWANI Pagi 7.30 pagi akan bersama Datuk Noridah Abdul Rahim, Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Wilayah Persekutuan, akan mengulas berhubung senario industri pelancongan di Wilayah Persekutuan serta strategi yang dilaksanakan dalam meningkatkan industri pelancongan di kawasan itu.
Perkembangan banjir di Kedah
Jumlah mangsa banjir yang ditempatkan di pusat pemindahan sementara (PPS) di Kedah terus meningkat setakat 6 pagi tadi.
Manakala jumlah mangsa banjir di Pulau Pinang, Perlis dan Selangor menunjukkan penurunan berbanding malam tadi.
Manakala jumlah mangsa banjir di Pulau Pinang, Perlis dan Selangor menunjukkan penurunan berbanding malam tadi.
PGA rampas rokok seludup bernilai lebih RM200,000 di Tumpat
Pasukan Gerakan Am Briged Tenggara menumpaskan sindiket penyeludupan rokok dan merampas 200,000 batang rokok bernilai RM264,000 dalam dua operasi berasingan di Tumpat, semalam.
Pemangku Presiden Muda, Amira Aisya selamat diijabkabulkan
Amira Aisya Abdul Aziz selamat diijabkabulkan dengan pasangannya, Luqman Long pada pagi Jumaat.
UNGA 79: Konflik di Palestin, isu kemanusiaan di Myanmar antara fokus kenyataan Malaysia
Menteri Luar Mohamad Hasan akan menegaskan komitmen Malaysia terhadap multilateralisme, keamanan dan kerjasama antarabangsa di tengah cabaran global.
Terenggganu keluar fatwa GISB sesat jika ada bukti jelas - Mufti
Terengganu hanya akan mengeluarkan fatwa mengenai kepercayaan dan ajaran dalam GISB sebagai sesat sekiranya terdapat bukti jelas.
Dua penduduk Gaza cedera dalam serangan udara rejim Zionis
Dua penduduk Gaza menjadi mangsa kekejaman Zionis apabila cedera dalam satu serangan udara di kawasan kejiranan Zeitoun, Gaza.
Dalam satu hantaran di X pada Jumaat, Persatuan Bulan Sabit Merah Palestin (PRCS) memaklumkan mangsa bagaimanapun berjaya dibawa keluar dari lokasi serangan.
Dalam satu hantaran di X pada Jumaat, Persatuan Bulan Sabit Merah Palestin (PRCS) memaklumkan mangsa bagaimanapun berjaya dibawa keluar dari lokasi serangan.