Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong’s reply to me yesterday fails to explain why he discriminates against drunk driving by imposing harsher penalties on drunk driving offences than those involved in illegal racing by Mat Rempit. Wee instead indulges in a false narrative that I am not aware of amendments to Section 41 to the Road Transport Act 1987 increasing penalties for reckless driving causing death, to distract attention from Wee’s abysmal failure to impose similar harsh punishment on drunk driving as on illegal racing by Mat Rempits.
I had mentioned in my statement on 19 July that in 2020, Wee had trumpeted the increased penalties of death caused by reckless or dangerous driving under Section 41 of the Road Transport Act 1987 to a fine of RM50,000 and/or a five to 10 year jail sentence. Subsequent offences will carry a RM50,000 to RM100,000 fine and a maximum jail term of 15 years.
However, I had asked Wee to explain why heavier penalties imposed for drunk drivers causing death are double that of the jail sentence imposed on Mat Rempits. Lest Wee has forgotten, he had also imposed in 2020 harsher penalties in under section 44 for causing death by those driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs to a fine of between RM50,000 to RM100,000 and a minimum of 10 years /or a maximum of 15 years in jail for the first offence. For a subsequent offence, the jail sentence will be between 15 to 20 years and the maximum fine will further be increased to RM150,000.
Under Section 44(1A), the penalties for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs to the extent of causing injury without death have been increased to RM50,000 and/or a seven to 10 year jail term, whilst a subsequent offence carries a RM50,000 to RM100,000 fine and a 10 to 15 year jail term. Those driving while intoxicated or on drugs face a maximum fine of RM30,000 and/or a maximum jail term of two years under section 45A.
There is no similar provision imposing such harsh penalties for those involved in illegal racing by Mat Rempits compared to that imposed on drunk driving. Wee should not miss the woods from the trees by insisting that harsher penalties are imposed on Mat Rempits when it is still nothing compared to those imposed on drunk driving.
Wee did not even choose to make any comment in his capacity as Transport Minister on the tragic incident of illegal racing by motorcyclists in Tun Lim Chong Eu Expressway in Penang that left 5 dead and 2 injured on 17 July. Wee should listen to public opinion who want harsher penalties on illegal racing by Mat Rempits who are a clear and present danger to public safety similar to the penalties imposed on drunk driving.
Wee should stop his political posturing but show political will to solve this “rempit menace” which is seen by some as a cancer in society. Wee focuses more on drunk driving despite the World Health Organisation and a global road safety report from December 2018 showing that less than 1% of traffic-related deaths in Malaysia are linked to alcohol, one of the lowest rates of road fatalities in the world.
This is confirmed by Malaysian Police data showing that since 2014, DUI contributed to the lowest percentage of deaths from the total number of road fatalities with 2.89% in 2014, 3.41% (2015), 3.31% (2016), 0.86% (2017), and 0.85% (2018). Only 69 cases of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs on Malaysian roads were attributed to fatal crashes between 2011 and July 2021.
Based on data, the rempit menace is as potent a threat, if not more, as drunk driving. With more deaths caused by Mat Rempits than drunk driving, Wee should be data-driven by showing both political will and political guts to punish and resolve the rempit menace to save Malaysian lives and livelihood.