KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 — Transport Minister Anthony Loke’s move for harsher penalties to be imposed on drunk drivers following recent incidents demonstrates Pakatan Harapan’s political will, said Lim Kit Siang’s political secretary Syahredzan Johan.
Syahredzan, who is also an advocate and solicitor, said the previous Barisan Nasional government failed to amend the Road Transport Act similarly despite worrying data on traffic-related accidents and deaths attributed to driving under the influence of alcohol.
Quoting a parliamentary reply from then-home minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in June of 2015, he said 1,035 traffic accidents related to driving under the influence were recorded between 2010 and April of 2015, of which 618 involved deaths.
“Despite this alarming statistic, Section 44 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 was last amended in 1999 to raise the sentence to the existing punishment. The previous government had failed to make any amendments to Section 44 (1) of the Act
“Drunk driving has caused more than 1,000 accidents and 600 deaths in approximately five years alone.
“Therefore, the decision of the Cabinet to amend the Act is welcomed and indicates that the government now has a political will to take steps not taken by the previous government. It is hoped that after this amendment is made, it will be an effective preventive measure to address this issue,’’ he said in a statement today.
Under Section 44(1) now, those convicted of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol may be imprisoned from three to 10 years and fined between RM8,000 and RM20,000.
Following a Cabinet meeting yesterday, Loke said that the Road Transport Act 1987 would be reviewed and amended to increase the existing penalties for reckless driving and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
