KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — Traffic police made over 900 arrests for drunk or intoxicated driving between January and June this year, just marginally higher than the same period last year, despite a nearly threefold increase in enforcement operations.
Bukit Aman Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Muhammed Hasbullah Ali disclosed during a press conference that his officers conducted over 1,600 roadblocks in the first half of 2026.
This represents an increase of nearly a thousand operations compared to the first six months of 2025.
Despite the surge in activity, only 949 related arrests were made, an increase of just 19 cases over the previous year.
When questioned by Malay Mail on why the arrest numbers had not risen proportionally with the operations, Muhammed Hasbullah acknowledged the statistics.
“But I say this reflects the success of the increased number of operations because it’s possible that more people avoid driving when drinking because they see increased police presence.”
From the 949 arrests, 895 individuals were male, while 54 individuals were female.
Individuals aged 41 and above recorded the highest number of arrests, at 364 people or 38.4 per cent of total arrests by age group. Those aged 31 to 40 came second with 352 people or 37.1 per cent, while those 21 to 30 years old made up 23.7 per cent of cases.
Arrests involving 16 to 20 years old totalled seven people, or 0.7 per cent.
The five contingents with the highest number of arrests were Kuala Lumpur with 268 arrests, Johor (223), Selangor (182), Sabah (95), and Sarawak (62), JSPT said.
Legal action for offenses under Section 45A of the Road Transport Act 1987, or driving under the influence of alcohol, rose to 1,040 compared to 870 from January to June 2025.
A total of 589 cases were charged in court compared to 486 cases in 2025, while 414 cases were convicted compared to 334 cases last year.
