Pay Up Your Traffic Summons Or Face The Consequences
I became a driving school instructor at the age of 25. That was back in 1970. One thing I have always advised friends of mine not to do is, to ask friends or middle men or runners if you like, to settle fines or summons for them.
It does not matter whether it is a police summons or a J.P.J. summons. Unless of course, you can trust the person you are asking to help you. He is someone you can trust.
Having so many years of experience behind me, especially in the field of driving school and all other things pertaining to the driving school industry, you could say I have more or less seen it all.
Yes, I admit I have some friends in the police and the J.P.J. department. But what I am trying to imply is, can these people be trusted to settle the summons or fines for you? Experience tells me most people cannot be trusted.
A bah kut teh seller in town, whom I know, rather recently met and seeked my help to settle a traffic light summons on his behalf. The summons itself was no more than RM300. It was not a big amount.
The pork ribs soup seller, a Chinese boy of approximately 35 years of age, got a rude shock when I refused to help him settle his red traffic light summons. Why did I arrive at such a decision?
I emphatically told my friend that he should ideally settle the summons himself. Why did I make this suggestion? After all, the J.P.J. office was located at Kampung Jawa, hardly 2 – 5 kilometers from town.
By passing some RM300 to another person, who promises then to settle or pay the summons on his behalf, isn’t he taking the risk of having the middle man or friend not settling his summons at all? If this should happen, my friend would then find himself blacklisted by the J.P.J. authorities.
If the above friend took my advice, went to the J.P.J. office nearby to settle the summons himself, he will feel satisfied that his summons had been settled. He will in future not have to worry about being blacklisted at all!
Friends or runners have the intention to pay the summons we asked or request them to pay. They have good intentions, most of them do.
But human beings, being such, at times the money which you have given them to settle your summons with is inevidently used by them prior to settling your summons.
Therefore, when the time comes to pay up your summons, they are short of money. Thus your summons cannot be settled.
When they meet you the next time, they begin to give excuses. They eventually begin to tell you lies. But they actually do not intend to bluff or cheat you. But circumstances are such that they have no other alternatives. To protect themselves, they begin to give all forms of excuses.
A good friend of mine, a TV technician, a Mr. Ong P.Y. came to seek my assistance just recently. His eldest son, who took his driving license under myself a few years ago was blacklisted by the J.P.J. authorities.
Mr. Ong’s son was summoned by the J.P.J. one night while driving in Kuala Langat, near Banting. Mr. Ong’s son was unaware that one of his P stickers at the back of his car had fallen off. For this, the boy was summoned!
After receiving his summons, he gave RM300 to a friend to settle his summons for him. The friend of his, lost his summons. He did not pay his summons either. And Mr. Ong’s son also failed to attend court proceedings. Judgment was therefore made against him.
Recently, when Mr. Ong came to seek my assistance, I informed him that not only was his son blacklisted and could not now renew his driving license, his son now faced 2 summons. One for not settling his original summons. The other for not attending court.
I had to spend nearly a day at the J.P.J. office at Kampung Jawa to get a duplicate summons out in order to settle the outstanding summons. The summons had not been paid since 2005.
All’s well that ends well, so they say. Finally, the summons was paid. The lady clerk advised me that the blacklist on Mr. Ong’s son license would be lifted in half an hour after I had paid the outstanding summons.
To be on the safe side, I went home for lunch first. After lunch, I went back again to J.P.J. for the second time to pay or renew Mr. Ong’s son’s P license for a duration of 3 years.
I was successful in renewing it meaning the blacklisting had been lifted. What a big hassle it was!
The example which I have related regarding Mr. Ong’s case should be a lesson to one and all. Do not envisage to get someone or some friend to settle a summons for you. Take the trouble to visit the J.P.J. office or for that matter the police station, to pay up your own summons.
Do not try to trust anybody but yourself. Taking a day off to settle your summons yourself is worth the trouble after all. Think about it carefully. I’m certain you’ll agree with me.
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Cikgu yap,
I recently got summoned by the police to appear before the magistrate court for not having an international license. But i did have my countrys license with me. And at the time i was caught i wasn’t even driving. The car was parked.
The question is i got the date for next month but i leave the country next week and won’t be coming back for atleast the next five years. What should i do?
Most likely, your domestic license is not acceptable by our authorities. See the authorities that summoned you. Request them to compound it. Explain to them you’ll be leaving the country soon.
Dear Cikgu Yap,
My dad got involved in a 3 vehicle accident at NS highway,he was the last car. We made a police report at the police station and was fine RM300 on the spot. However no receipt was given but dad was given a paper on the spot to ask him to appear in court in 1 month time.
We’re confused, does he still need to appear in court or not(since he paid the fine) ? Many thanks in advance.
Police fine in my personal opinion has no bearing with the court summons. You will still have to face the magistrate and the decision that he makes.