KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — There are 1.2 million motorists driving without licences, the Transport Ministry revealed yesterday, denying that the cost to obtain the licence was the reason.
Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Ab Aziz Kaprawi said it was a matter of the people’s attitude and the lack of awareness on the need for a licence.
“Enforcement has been carried out by the Road Transport Department in routine operations and integrated operations with various agencies covering motorcycles, vehicles and overloaded vehicles,” he said.
Ab Aziz said that to date, 231,788 offences had been found involving driving without licences, expired licences, licences from a different driving class, and fake licences.
The Sri Gading MP was responding to a question from Datuk Abd Aziz Sheikh Fadzir (BN-Kulim Bandar Baru), who asked if a study had been carried out on why so many Malaysian were driving without licences and whether enforcement was lax and needed improvement.
Answering a supplementary question, Ab Aziz said the policy still stood and that only those above 16 were allowed to sit for their licences.
“This is because we view that those below 16 are not mature enough to be on the road,” he said.
Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PAS-Rantau Panjang) had asked if the ministry had a solution for students who were not of age but needed transportation to and from schools or for near-distance travel.
