Wee: Education is the key

PETALING JAYA: Education must be the basis for a lasting policy change to reduce drink driving-related accidents in the country, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (pic).

He said this following a video conference held on Thursday with the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) of Malaysia on the topic of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

In a Facebook posting after the video conference, he said a holistic approach was needed to tackle drink driving in Malaysia.

“We agreed that education must be the cornerstone of a lasting policy change to reduce deadly tragedies caused by those driving under the influence.

“It is not just about enforcement with better techniques and procedures, but also about the whole ecosystem – penalties, awareness and alternatives to driving when drunk – which must work in tandem,” he said.

Dr Wee added that the Transport Ministry would form a task force with the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), the Home Ministry and non-governmental stakeholders such as CILT to introduce a communication plan to educate the public not to drive while under the influence of alcohol.

“While the ministry will finalise the proposed amendments for more severe penalties to the Road Transport Act to be tabled in the Cabinet in June, it is also crucial for the long term to spread greater awareness to discourage drink driving.

“If you drink, please do not drive and risk life and limb.

“We have to start somewhere. Even seatbelts and helmets took time to be fully adopted by the public when they were first introduced decades ago,” he said.

Dr Wee added that since the issue of drink driving was not only limited to drivers of private vehicles, but also to drivers of commercial and public transport vehicles, measures taken to reduce drink driving must also include these drivers.

“The issue of driving under the influence is not only limited to those who use private vehicles.

“The same enforcement must be brought against errant drivers of commercial and public transport vehicles like lorries and buses who drive under the influence,” Dr Wee said.

Separately, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan said the proposed amendments would not only involve provisions relating to drink driving that causes injury or death in Section 44, but also driving under the influence of alcohol under Section 45.

“The government supports recommendations by the Transport Ministry to impose mandatory jail sentences on drivers who are arrested for drink driving, where under the existing provision, it is at the discretion of the court,” he said in a statement.

Takiyuddin said the proposed higher fine and longer imprisonment would enable the AGC to prosecute the offenders at the Sessions Court.

For more deterrence, he said the government would discuss with the AGC about having death in road crashes caused by drunk drivers investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder, or Section 307 of the same law for attempted murder.

Despite the government being firm on those driving under the influence, he said it did not mean non-Muslims would be denied their rights.

“Non-Muslims can take alcoholic drinks, but they have to comply with all the relevant laws,” he added. - Star