Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong and DAP leader Lim Guan Eng locked horns over motorcyclists who participate in illegal races on public roads.
Firing the first salvo, Lim accused Wee, who is also MCA president, of lacking the political will to crack down on these “Mat Rempit” in the same manner as drunk drivers.
“Clearly, Mat Rempit are a menace to public safety. Normally, such a large number of deaths would require immediate action by any responsible and competent transport minister.
“Unfortunately, Wee does not appear to have the same political will that he possesses in dealing with drunk driving to overcome the danger brought upon by Mat Rempit,” he added in a statement.
In a Facebook post later, the minister said stern action is taken against errant road users and pointed to the 2020 amendment of the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333), which focused on three main issues - driving under the influence of alcohol, drugs and driving in a reckless manner.
Therefore, Wee claimed that Lim was not serious and failed to scrutinise the amendments to the legislation.
Regretting Lim’s accusation that he lacked political will, the minister said: “Were there no fatal accidents involving motorcyclists during the 22 months Pakatan Harapan was in power? Didn’t Harapan possess the will to overcome this issue?
“This is different since I became minister of transport. I immediately amended Act 333 to increase the punishment for offenders to ensure that our roads are safe,” he added.
Apart from this, Wee said the ministry and relevant agencies have stepped up road safety awareness campaigns, and operations to curb offences such as illegal races and formed a special task force to look into the causes of motorcycle accidents and provide recommendations on how to reduce them.
Meanwhile, Lim cited police data to show that the number of road users involved in DUI (driving under influence) accidents related to alcohol and drugs were 212 in 2020 and 39 in 2019, 191 in 2018, 212 in 2017, and 461 in 2016.
He added that figures from the World Health Organisation and a global road safety report from December 2018 showed that less than one percent of traffic-related deaths in the country were alcohol-related - with this being one of the lowest rates of road fatalities in the world.
“Compare the large 12,000 deaths in fatal accidents related to Mat Rempit with drunk driving,” he said, referring to the total Mat Rempit-related fatal accidents since 2009.
Lim said the penalties for DUI of alcohol or drugs to the extent of causing injury without death had been bumped to RM50,000 or seven to 10 years of imprisonment or both.
Those driving under the influence also face a fine between RM1,000 to RM5,000, a jail sentence of not more than two years, or both.
The Bagan MP called on the transport minister to impose the same punishment on Mat Rempit, who presents a clear danger to other motorists on roads and highways.
“Is Wee’s forceful action against drunk driving due to the dictates of his political masters but inaction against Mat Rempit, which is wanted not by his political masters but by the ordinary rakyat?” asked Lim.
Lim's statement comes after the death of five individuals - with two others injured - in an accident involving illegal racing by Mat Rempit on a coastal highway in Penang last week. - Mkini
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