Rohingya refugees cannot obtain driving license, but since when did that stop them from driving?

 

ACCORDING to the director of Road Transport Department (JPJ) Kelantan, Mohd Misuari Abdullah, Rohingya refugees are not eligible to obtain a Malaysian driving licence due to their refugee status.

He said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) card held by members of the Rohingya community is not an official identification document that qualifies them to apply for a driving licence.

However, he added that throughout the department’s enforcement operations, it has never detected any Rohingya individual in possession of a valid Malaysian driving licence.

Instead, Mohd Misuari said the group’s common modus operandi when stopped at roadblocks is to present their UNHCR cards in an attempt to gain sympathy and avoid enforcement action.

The news, which was carried by media portal Bernama elicited a good number of response from our fellow netizens too.

“Yeah, I know.  Been knowing for a long time. Known since birth already,” said @stfueue.  

Another netizen said making statements were easy, but enforcement was another problem.

“If they are caught breaking the law, these people should be sent to a tightly controlled refugee camp. This way, the country can monitor their movements,” suggested @boogiechilds.

Netizen further shared that a Rohingya who worked at Alam Flora showed him his identification card just now.

Returning to the statement at hand, Misuari dismissed allegations of the existence of syndicates helping these foreign nationals obtain Malaysian driving licences legally.

“Our intelligence gathering has found no evidence of any such documents or syndicates operating in Kelantan to date,” he told Bernama. 

To curb the issue, the Kelantan JPJ has intensified continuous enforcement operations at several hotspot locations around Kota Bharu, Ketereh, Melor, Pasir Tumboh and Tanah Merah.

“The Kelantan JPJ also issues a stern warning to local vehicle owners who rent out or allow their vehicles to be used by Rohingya individuals who do not possess a valid driving licence,” he said.

Mohd Misuari added that the owners of such vehicles would no longer merely face compound fines but would instead be prosecuted in court under Section 23(2) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

Previously, about 85 per cent of foreign nationals against whom action was taken during the Foreign Drivers Operation in Kelantan between January and 18 June this year were Rohingya.

Enforcement and monitoring operations found that the majority were driving without a valid licence, in addition to committing various other offences under the Road Transport Act 1987.— Focus Malaysia