PETALING JAYA: People convicted of road rage offences should undergo psychological assessments before being allowed to operate a vehicle again, says the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA).
MMA president Dr Muruga Raj Rajathurai said those convicted of these offences should be evaluated for mental disorders and treated for them, apart from facing legal punishment.
“These steps are necessary even if they are serving a jail term, as the unrehabilitated can still be a danger to road users (after serving their sentence),” he said in a statement.
Muruga said people who commit road rage offences usually have difficulties regulating their emotions while psychological factors like stress, anxiety and displaced anger contribute to violent behaviour on the road.
He also said issues such as substance abuse or bipolar disorder can cause people to be prone to outbursts of anger, which in turn can lead to road rage.
“We urge the authorities concerned to look into including referrals to a mental health team for proper psychological assessment and management in the form of counselling or psychotherapy, as part of its management of road rage cases,” he said.
Earlier this week, factory supervisor Zaim Faiz Tarmizi, 29, was filmed assaulting a woman driver near Lata Iskandar, Cameron Highlands.
In a video that went viral, Zaim was seen getting out of his car and knocking on the window of the vehicle behind him, before berating the female driver and hitting her on her forehead more than once.
Zaim has since been sentenced to seven days in jail.
He faces another probe for allegedly assaulting two restaurant workers in Cameron Highlands in a separate incident. - FMT
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