KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 — The Road Transport Department (RTD) will improve its existing standard operating procedures (SOP) so as to better protect the safety of its officers as well as candidates during driving tests.

This comes after a candidate in Nilai, Negri Sembilan, threatened an examiner with a 30cm knife after he was failed for the third time yesterday.

"We will review our SOPs to avoid such incidents from recurring, as well as reduce the safety risks during the driving examination,” the department said in a statement.

As part of its future plans, the RTD will implement e-testing via the application of sensor technology and cameras when managing driving exams.

"Doing so will make driving test results more objective as well as reduce the amount of human interference during the evaluation process,” it said.

During the incident, the student was instructed to pull over before a traffic light junction after he violated several traffic rules.

When confronted with the blade at his abdomen, the quick-thinking examiner immediately exited the vehicle and called for assistance.

The police detained the suspect for questioning at the Mantin police station, where he is being investigated under the Penal Code’s Section 506, for criminal intimidation which carries a seven-year imprisonment term, a fine, or both upon conviction.