Letter to Editor
I WAS upset reading the report “Subject cars older than 15 years to mandatory checks, says MP”. In the Dewan Rakyat, Tebrau MP Jimmy Puah recently proposed that vehicles more than 15 years old undergo mandatory vehicle inspections before their road tax can be renewed.
He suggested that the government provide cash incentives to encourage vehicle owners to scrap old cars, calling it an effective way to phase out ageing vehicles from the roads.
But such a scheme is an option only in countries with adequate budgets, incomes, and public transport.
Puah pointed out that the number of vehicles in Malaysia has now exceeded 36.3 million, surpassing the total population, excluding children under 17 and senior citizens above 80. He was reported to have said “This means nearly every Malaysian owns two cars”.
Clearly, his rationale was way off the mark. Firstly, the 36.3 million is for the sum total of all motorised vehicles registered in Malaysia, not the number on the road. And they include goods and passenger carrying vehicles like lorries, buses, taxis, and other commercial vehicles.
Furthermore, the 36.3 million includes not only 16,773,112 motorcycles, but also 12,540,664 vehicles without road tax, with most of them scrapped or left unused a long time ago.
To deduce that nearly every Malaysian owns two cars is not only a sweeping statement, but it also hurts those who cannot afford to own even one, especially the millions of motorcyclists who had to risk their life and limbs, and expose themselves to the wind, sun or rain when riding.
Puah proposed that it is crucial for vehicles older than 15 years undergo annual inspections as old cars are likely to break down, contributing to traffic congestion and endangering other road users. His proposal would certainly be welcomed by all four vehicle inspection concessionaires.
If he is concerned with road safety, then he can try to convince the Cabinet that the two major agencies involved in traffic enforcement go all out to ensure all motorists and motorcyclists are always in their best behaviours as they would in the presence of police personnel or cameras.
Granted, it is impossible to have CCTV cameras or enforcement officers everywhere round the clock. However, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Road Transport Department (JPJ) could privatise surveillance to millions of motorists and motorcyclists who are on the road daily.
The public could be invited to participate in a scheme to install approved types of dashcams and forward the recordings of traffic offences to either PDRM or JPJ. They could then be paid a fee if such recordings are used successfully against traffic offenders.
In this way, the scheme is self-funding, as the fees are only a small percentage from the huge amount of fines collected, such as for jumping red lights, stopping after the white line, queue jumping, using the emergency lane, reckless driving, and parking illegally that obstructs traffic.
Not only our roads and expressways will be much safer, so too will our streets and urban areas, as there will be less crime and snatch thefts, knowing that many private cars and motorcycles, lorries and buses, taxis and e-hailing vehicles are constantly recording using dashcams.
If that were to happen, Malaysia would be transformed overnight to be one of the safest countries anywhere. And that can only happen if politicians are truly patriotic by placing the interests of our nation first instead of self-interest, which has caused much disharmony.
Too many of them place their race, religion and language first, as these are the surest ways to win popularity, power and votes among their blind supporters.
It is all too easy to instigate anger against others, it is too much hard work to implement concrete measures to uplift communities.
MPs who support private cars older than 15 years to undergo annual inspections will lose votes in their constituencies.
The harebrained idea, if introduced, will immediately wipe out billions of ringgit in market value for used cars, and also bring a lot of unnecessary hardships to the rakyat. – Feb 17, 2025
CY Ming
Ampang
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image: The Star
