Ops Cantas Traffic Campaign – Malaysian Drivers Beware!

Under the Ops Warta VII campaign in 2008, the traffic police took action against some 96,000 vehicle users for non settling outstanding summonses owing 5 years later in 2013.

Traffic offenders who have yet to settle their summonses have risen to more than 1.7 million. In the latest onslaught against traffic offenders, the campaign code named Ops Cantas Traffic or operations against traffic offenders, has already been launched.

Some 251,000 errant motorist driving heavy vehicles, drivers and motorcyclists, will become the target of the operation.

For readers knowledge, the Road Traffic Ordinance 1987, lists out hundreds, if not thousands of traffic offences which motorists can contravene.

Most of the above violations provide fines ranging from RM150 to RM300. The above represents fines laid out in 1987, that is some 25 years ago. The amount stipulated, still remains the same. Nevertheless, some fines have since then been revised. The majority however, still remain as it is.

Before continuing further, some drivers and motorcycle rider may still be unaware of who in reality can summons us. Basically the local councils such as Majlis Perbandaran Klang, Kuantan Municipal Council Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam etc, are but some of them that can issue us summonses.

Next, Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) can similarly also summon us. Finally of course, the Police authorities possess the right to give us summons too.

Fines or summonses ideally are of 2 categories. They are either compound fines or “appear in court” variety. In cases where one feels that one has been wrongly accused, one can opt to fight the case in court.

Among the normal traffic violations normally received by motorists are for “not wearing seat belts”, “not putting on a crash helmet”, “using a mobile phone while driving” and of course “jumping queue”.

Under the Ops Cantas Traffic campaign, notices are currently being sent out to errant offenders who have yet to settle their outstanding offences. “Warrants Of Arrests” have been issued against them.

For those who may not be aware, I have been informed by my older brother, who has years of legal experience, that a warrant of arrest costs approximately RM200 to expedite. It should be made known that a traffic offender has to bear this expense when and if warrants of arrests are issued. At the same time, expired warrants of arrest have been also been renewed.

The Police say, they are currently working closely with the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) department and the national Registration Department to track down the addresses of errant offenders, to make sure that all 251,273 offenders receive the latest notices.

Acting Federal Police Chief, Senior Asst. Comm Mohd Fuad Abd Latiff advises those with unsettled traffic summonses to quickly settle them even though they have yet to receive a warrant of arrest.

The first stage of the Ops Cantas Traffic campaign saw 77 motorists arrested for traffic offences. A total of 15 have been caught for other wrong doing such as bribery, stealing vehicles and drug related offences.

However, the police say traffic offenders who ran foul of the AES and have been summoned, were not included in the current campaign.

Stage 2 of the campaign, which is scheduled to start end of November 2013, road blocks are expected to be set up to arrest errant wrongdoers.

What happens to those who are apprehended at road blocks?

Well for your information, those involved will be brought to the Police station. Those who fail, or refuse to pay up the fine, will be set free on bail with one surety.

A new date for a court hearing will be set up or the wrongdoer to challenge the summons. They can also appeal for a lower fine.

What can happen if an errant offender refuse to settle a fine?

The police or the Road Transport Department can:

1) Blacklist the traffic offender. His or her driving license and road tax can be blacklisted. The means that they can no longer be permitted to drive.

2) As reiterated earlier, a warrant of arrest can also be taken out. The police will not be alone in carrying out the Ops Cantas Traffic campaign.

The Narcotics Crime Investigation Department, the Commercial Crime Investigation section and the Serious Crime Investigation, will be working hand in hand with the Police in road block investigations.

Finally, for those who are interested in checking whether they have outstanding summonses or nor, check at:

a) Any traffic police counter
b) The post office
c) Maybank ATM
d) At selected shopping malls
e) JPJ branches

A word or advice from the Police, to those who are stopped at road block operations, be patient and please co-operate.

By | 2013-12-17T20:41:29+08:00 December 10th, 2013|Driving In Malaysia|0 Comments

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