I read this article, Cops want annual renewal to curb road accidents, at the star.com. The other day, 1 clearly not-too-bright senior official has admited that they are clueless about the whole thing. I personally feel that PDRM is clueless in everything except taking bribes!

PDRM sucks because it is full of corrupted people, all the way from top to bottom.


Here's the article if you might have missed it.

The Star Online > Nation

Monday November 22, 2004

Cops want annual renewal to curb road accidents

BY EMBUN MAJID AND AUDREY EDWARDS

ALOR STAR: Driving licences will only be renewed for one year and not up to five as at present.

The proposal, by the police, will allow the law to catch up more quickly with motorists who ignore traffic summonses.

Internal Security and Public Order Director Datuk Seri Salleh Mat Som said the measure was needed to check blatant disregard for the law by traffic offenders.

The Road Transport Department (JPJ) now blacklists traffic offenders with outstanding traffic summonses and does not allow them to renew their licences until the summonses are settled.

The authorities, however, have to wait a long time before they can force offenders holding five-year licences to pay their dues.

“We view the five-year maximum licence renewal period as too long as motorists might have committed many traffic offences in that time,” he told reporters during a working visit to the Kedah police contingent headquarters here yesterday.

He added that annual renewal of licences “would give us time to monitor the licence holder and check for traffic offences committed.”

The proposal, he added, would be forwarded to the Transport Ministry.

Comm Salleh attributed the high rate of fatal accidents to several factors, including blatant disregard for traffic regulations and people’s attitudes.

“If it’s a murder case, then it will get the attention of the media and the public, but for road accidents they don’t give a hoot even if 16 people were killed daily,” he added.

In Petaling Jaya, Road Transport Department Director-General Datuk Emran Kadir said a shorter renewal period would also help the Kejara demerit point system work more effectively.

At present, the JPJ can only update the demerit points after a driver has settled a summons.

He said the Transport Ministry and his department had been looking into the matter, including amending the Road Transport Act 1987, to reduce the renewal period.

“We have discussed it. The matter was even brought up during our meeting with the Prime Minister at Bukit Aman on Nov 8,” he said when contacted.

“He (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) also suggested that we shorten the period to one year and extend it to two years if the driver does not commit any offence,” he said.

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