Sebelum 2011, Toyota Motors Corporation, adalah juara pengeluar automobil seluruh dunia. Akibat daripada mala petaka gempa bumi dahsyat serta tsunami yang berikutan yang melanda Negeri Matahari Terbit, Jepun mengalami kerosakan teruk. Nuklear reaktor, kilang-kilang pengeluar automobil terus dimusnahkan.

Selain itu, banjir besar-besaran di Thailand turut bersama membawa kedudukan yang malang kepada Negara Jepun. Negeri Thai adalah rakan sesama Jepun yang memasang dan mengeluarkan kereta-kereta jenis Toyota.

Tetapi nampaknya, nasib buruk atau malang itu, dipercayai tidak akan berturutan. Bah kata pepatah terkenal, langit bukannya sentiasa mendung, katanya.

Toyota Motors Corporation yang adalah pengeluar automobil terbesar di Asia, telah dipercayai akan meningkatkan jualan seluruh dunianya tidal lama lagi. Menurut jangkaan baru, Toyota Motors akan mencapai matlamat di atas, akibat langkah-langkah bijak yang baru-baru ini diumumkan oleh pihak kerajaan Jepun. Dua sebab utama yang sebenarnya akan membawa kepada perubahan ini.

Matlamat-matlamat itu termasuk:

i. Insentif-insentif terhadap kenderaan-kenderaan yang boleh menjimatkan minyak atau petrol oleh kerajaan Negara Jepun.

ii. Suatu lagi dipercayai adalah jualan-jualan hangat ataupun panas terhadap keluaran kenderaan Prius jenis baru yang dijangka mendapatkan sambutan baik. Prius baru menggunakan minyak dan elektrik, dikatakannya.

Selain daripada sebab-sebab tertera di atas, subsidi-subsidi Toyota Motors, iaitu Daihatsu Motor serta Syarikat Hino Motors, kedua-duanya akan meningkat 21% kepada 8.5 juta buah kenderaan tahun ini. Jumlah itu lebih 100,000 sepertimana dijangkakan oleh Toyota Motors itu sendiri.

Untuk pengetahuan para pembaca, syarikat-syarikat pengeluar kereta besar di dunia, iaitu General Motors dan Volkswagen AG (VW) telah mengalahkan Toyota Motors Corporation dari segi jumlah penjualan.

Kereta popular dan terkenal Toyota Motors, iaitu Camry dikatakan mungkin juga meningkat. Dipercayai Camry akan menambahkan keuntungannya berganda tidak lama lagi.

Insentif-insentif yang kini dihulurkan oleh kerajaan Jepun, mungkinan besar dapat bertanding dengan general Motors dan VW.

Menurut kepada kepercayaan seorang pakar analyst, Encik Satoru Tanaka, yang berasal dari Syarikat Penyelidikan Towards The Infinite World, dengan tamatnya gempa bumi dan banjir yang kini telah selesai, jualan Toyota dijangka akan terus meningkat maju.

Tetapi terdapat suatu masalah yang sedang merumitkan masalah Toyota dalam usahanya mencapai tujuan menjadi juara pengeluar kenderaan-kenderaan auto hari ini. Dan maslah itu adalah, mata wang Jepun, yen telah meningkat lebih maju daripada mata-mata wang lain di dunia. Ini telah mengakibatkan kenderaan-kenderaan Jepun lebih mahal daripada kenderaan-kenderaan lain di dunia.

Selain itu, Toyota Motors juga menghadapi syarikat G.M yang telah menjadi lebih kukuh 2 tahun kebelakangan ini. Tambahan itu, Syarikat Hyundai Motor Corporation hari ini telah menjadi lebih popular juga.

Demi untuk mempertahankan kedudukan pasaran domestik tempatan, kerajaan Jepun telah bersiap sedia sebanyak 300 billion yen (US 3.8 bil) sebagai insentif-insentif auto. Kerajaan Jepun dalam percubaan membantu pengeluar-pengeluar auto Jepun meningkatkan penjualan kenderaan di pasaran Jepun dalam tahun 2012. Pada tahun 2011, jualan kenderaan di Jepun telah jatuh sebanyak 14%.

Toyota diramalkan akan jual sebanyak 1.63 juta buah kenderaan di dalam negeri serta 6.9 juta kenderaan di luar negeri.

Untuk pengetahuan para pembaca, Toyota telah menerima tempahan sebanyak 100,000 unit untuk kenderaan popularnya, Aqua yang dikenali sebagai Prius c di Amerika Syarikat.

Toyota Motors kini dalam usaha memastikan pengeluaran Aqua. Dijangka, kesemua kenderaan di atas dapat dihasilkan pada masa yang ditetapkan.

Minat hangat terhadap Prius diharapkan akan membawa sasaran Toyota pada tahun 2013 ke tahap yang lebih tinggi, iaitu ke 320,000 unit, menurut surat khabar Nikkii.

Di Malaysia, kereta Prius makin hari makin popular di kalangan pemilik-pemilik hybrid dan elektrik ini. Kesemuannya ini, sudah tentu akan menjadi berita yang baik kepada gagasan Toyota Motors Corporation di Malaysia.

Berita baik ini sudah pasti menggembirakan anak menantu saya, Kin serta isterinya, Swan Nee. Mereka merupakan pemilik bangga kereta Prius juga!

This short article is infact a follow-up to a longer and more detailed article entitled Are Malaysian Drivers Permitted To Use Tinted Windscreens And Windows In Their Vehicle? earlier in this blog.

Malaysian drivers, like all other drivers elsewhere, must surely feel annoyed or angry whenever they are apprehended by Road Transport Department’s or police actions during road traffic operations. They, it is believed, feel their rights have been challenged!

But, have motorists and drivers, especially in our country, ever contemplated for once why such operations take place?

First and foremost, it should be reminded that excessively tinted windows as a matter of fact, affects road safety!

It restricts a driver’s view or vision, especially during poor weather conditions. Drivers are said to be unable to see other road users and pedestrians well and clearly.

On the other hand, other drivers and road users, including pedestrians, cannot confirm through eye contact, that they have been seen by the driver who is driving a heavy and excessively tinted vehicle. This is nothing short of dangerous.

Why is it that in many countries like the United Kingdom and even Malaysia feel necessary to have laws against tinting?

UK has its Road Vehicles (Construction & Use Regulations) 1986 to regulate usage of tinted vehicles. Malaysia has its own Rule 5(1) and Rule 5(3) Motor vehicles (Prohibition of Certain Types of Glasses) Amendment 2000 to control tinting of vehicles.

What are the purpose of the above 2 laws?

It is said that the above mentioned laws are to ensure that a driver’s ability is able to see clearly. A driver’s ability should not in any way be excessively restricted by glass tinting.

To avoid being entangled with the laws laid down by the Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) or the Road Transport Department (RTD), a motorist, especially in Malaysia, what should a driver legally do?

As a responsible driver, I would like to advise you that as a driver, you must not drive a vehicle which has front windscreen that are heavily tinted. 75% of light should be allowed to be transmitted into the vehicle’s interiors. For side windows, and the rear windscreen, the law demands a 50% transmission of light into the vehicle.

Are police actions, Road Transport Department fines the only things a Malaysian driver driving an excessively tinted has to face? Unfortunately to say, the answer is NO.

Be it be said that the above are sadly not the only predicaments one has to encounter!

Unless you are well versed with the laws of our country, let it be reiterated here you may also invalidate your car insurance with this modification. The vehicle is most likely to be illegal.

Time and again, readers of this blog, including the Malaysian public, have queried the Authorities (the police and Road Transport Department’s) officials, if legal actions can be taken against franchised agents of vehicles and accessory shop establishments which unfortunately cohort to fix illegal such tinting to customers’ vehicles.

Sadly, the Road Transport Department in our country is of the opinion that they cannot do anything at all about it! It is said, their hands are tied.

Does it take two to tango? In our national language, it is stipulated explicitly, tepuk sebelah tangan tidak berbunyi. Literally translated, the above famous Malay proverb or saying implies, it takes two hands to clap! interesting, isn’t it?

to end this short but interesting and intriguing article, permit me to quote from VOSA (Vehicle Operator Services Agency) of the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Transport Department, which specifically advises all motorists and car tinting establishments there, if you are a tinting company, you must not modify or offer to supply, a part, which when fitted to a vehicle, means that the vehicle does not conform with the Construction & Use Regulations of that country.

In short, if actions can be taken in the United Kingdom, why not here in Malaysia? Why is there this disparity?

After all, our legal system is reported to be following UK’s anyway! I fail to see the logic behind the inability to take actions against those responsible for illegal tinting of vehicles.

If you look around carefully, Malaysia today has a lot of foreigners. There are Vietnamese, Indonesians, Nigerians, Bangladeshis and Chinese nationals in our midst.

If years ago, foreigners seldom drive in our country, today the situation is altogether different. Tourists and even those working here, fancy driving in Malaysia.

An Indonesian emigrant, who lives in my immediate neighbourhood, even owns a white Kancil. A Bangladeshi working with the Maruichi factory in Jalan Meru, Klang is reported to own a Yamaha motorcycle. Mohd Ali told me he was lucky enough to strike RM15,000 a few weeks ago. His motorcycle registration number came up 1st prize in TOTO draw just recently.

No too long ago, I wrote about a young Vietnamese lady, who told me of her intention to get a driving license. And eventually, I suppose, to purchase a 2nd hand vehicle to go around our beautiful country.

As a citizen of this country, I for one have nothing against foreigners owning vehicles, including motorcycles. Nevertheless, these foreigners should be qualified enough to satisfy the conditions of becoming owners of vehicles and motorcycles.

What however saddens me is that of late, foreigners have been observed as not adhering to driving requirements and etiquette normally practiced by the local people here.

Maybe the non adherence to these rules and regulations expected, might be due to sheer ignorance of such requirements. In this short article, I will therefore highlight a few practices which are normally followed by local drivers and riders.

Amongst the rules and regulations being not followed by many foreign motorists here include:-

1. Driving or riding cars and motorcycles with bogus or invalid license.

As an instructor with more than 40 years of experience, I should be aware of such things happening. I’m not saying that all foreigners are resorting to driving or riding with illegally procured licenses from their domestic country. But the possibility of such practices happening unfortunately is rather high.

No efforts will be made to identity the countries involved for fear of repercussions. But the transport authorities here, that is, the Road Transport Department, should ensure that only those with legal and valid licenses are allowed the permission to drive here in our country, Malaysia.

But the problem is, how do we go about to determine the status of a foreign license? Are the licenses genuine and valid?

I have come to know personally of a foreigner friend who was able to purchase a new motorcycle on hire-purchase terms. The above person informed me of his ability to purchase a motorcycle from local agents using a falsified driving license. This is indeed a disturbing thing to happen.

Should an accident occur, victims of the incident will undoubtedly not be covered by insurance. Who then is to be blamed? The foreigner or is it the motorcycle agent who sold the machine?

Personally, I am of the opinion that the onus is on the foreigner himself, who upon knowing the invalidity of his driving license, should have refrained from purchasing a vehicle locally.

For readers’ information, driving or riding with an illegally procured license, invalidates one’s insurance policy’s coverage. I would like to provide an advice to those trapped in such circumstances. If possible, it would like to help them out of such predicaments.

What should such people using illegally procured licenses do? What do I suggest?

The above group of people should immediately take steps to do a retest to secure a Malaysian driving license. Obviously, these attempts would take a lot of time and money. But if determined efforts are taken, it is most certain that a foreigner will be able to secure a local license eventually. In the end, a lot of unnecessary problems would then be eliminated.

Topping the list would surely be the question of no insurance coverage, especially when accidents happen.

What are the steps a foreigner has to go through if he or she intends to get a Malaysian license?

Amongst the qualifications a foreigner should ideally possess of course are:

i. Be physically fit to enable to drive or ride a vehicle.

ii. Be capable of passing the Highway Code. For this, one needs to be proficient in either the English language or Bahasa Malaysia, which is our national language.

iii. The necessity to attend the 5 hour Defensive Driving Course (K.P.P) followed by the 6 hour Theory course on vehicle maintenance.

iv. Undergo a practical driving course, which can sometimes stretch from 10-15 lessons for cars (Class D) and

v. For motorcycles (Class B2 250c.c.), practical lessons must be obtained from driving institutes all across the country.

vi. Undergo a pre test exam conducted by the institutes. The above test is known as the Q.T.I (Qualifying Test in Institutes)

vii. Finally, a potential candidate has to appear or sit for a practical exam normally conducted the Road transport Department officials at most institutes premises.

viii. A foreigner should then ensure that he finally gets on official or genuine Malaysian driving license issued by the Road Transport Department or JPJ (Jabatan Penganhkutan Jalan).

Upon procuring the above license, a foreigner, be it a Bangladeshi or an Indian national for that matter, will form, henceforth be free from police or Road Transport Department’s officials road block operations and checks.

All foreigners should think carefully about my suggestions. Take the necessary steps immediately to get yourself a Malaysian driving license today!

After obtaining the above license, be it a Class B2 (motorcycles 250c.c.) or Class D (cars) license you could then proceed to secure a car or a motorcycle of your dreams legally.

Of course, a foreigner, like all other Malaysian drivers and motorcycle riders, will have to undergo the P probation period of 2 years. It is only after the P period is over, that a foreigner will be able to secure his CDL (Competent Driver’s License) eventually.

Also remember, a Malaysian driving license can easily be converted into the foreigner’s country domestic license back home. On top of that, Malaysian driving license is accepted for use world wide. Our license are of a rather high standard and most countries like America and England, accept its usage!

Besides the question of driving and riding licenses used by foreigners in Malaysia, another pertinent problem which many foreigners seem to create here is:

2. Not wearing safety helmets whilst riding motorcycles.

I am not implying that local folks are not committing the above violation. As a matter of fact, we are. But foreigners, be they be Indonesians, Bangladeshis, or Vietnamese who work and stay here in many of our housing estates, should always keep in mind this popular maxim. And that is, in Rome do as the Romans do.

While in a foreign land, foreigners or visitors to our country, should follow local customs and practices. Foreigners as far as possible, should follow rules and regulations. Local people here will tend to have a poor impression of foreigners who fail to adhere to our local laws, especially Road Transport Department’s rules and regulations.

As such foreigners, living in the midst of our housing estates, please don your safety helmets and not kopiahs (religion caps) or worse still, not even wearing a safety helmet at all.

Not wearing a safety helmet violates Circular K.4MS(SH) of the Road Transport Ordinance 1987. The courts according to Section 119(2) can easily find you a sum RM100 for it!