What Is Saman Ekor Issued Through The Post?

Unlike in other countries, motorists or drivers in Malaysia face a unique form of summons. It is called “Saman ekor” or summons which are issued to drivers and motorists through the post.

I am uncertain if other countries like Singapore, Indonesia, India, United States and the United Kingdom have this kind of summons. But in Malaysia, all drivers and motorists should be well acquainted with saman ekor.

According to the Road Transport Minister in a recent article appeared in the Star daily on 9th August 2010, the above minister took great pains to explain to the public what saman ekor actually is.

Far from intending to punish or to penalize road users, saman ekor in fact has the intention to safeguard the road safety of those who use the roads.

In Malaysia, it is reported that there are areas in the country which the authorities consider as extremely high risk areas or areas known as black spot or accident proned.

Public safety has to be maintained. It cannot be compromised. With this view in mind, the police, the J.P.J. and other enforcement agencies feel drivers and motorists who commit traffic offenses in the above mentioned areas already mentioned earlier will be apprehended by using of video cameras. They will be informed swiftly and rest assured, severely punished.

The Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha, in a statement made recently in Petaling Jaya, tried to clear the misunderstanding over the blacklisting of motorist due to saman ekor. At a high level meeting scheduled to be held soon, a decision will be made regarding this issue.

However, the public lately has made lots of criticisms over the issue of saman ekor. Is it a fair decision by the authorities? Shouldn’t this problem be repealed? Doesn’t a person have a right to be considered innocent until he is proven guilty? Can the J.P.J. while liaising with the police authorities blacklist a driver thus preventing the issuance of road tax or the renewal of a driver’s license? These are questions frequently asked.

For your information, according to the Transport Minister, he has reiterated that blacklisting takes effect when motorists fail to respond quickly in time to saman ekor.

When offenders are caught on camera in a speed trap operation, a summons will be delivered to the vehicle owner through an enforcement notice or summons. Normally, this is done via registered post. Blacklisting of an offender will only commence two months after the notice is served.

Yes, the authorities say the right road users have certainly to be protected and respected. A person is innocent until he is proven guilty, the authorities say.

It looks as if, unlike in Ancient China where a person is considered guilty until proven otherwise, Malaysians drivers actually face “European Law”, which is “innocent until proven guilty”!

So there you are, dear motorists. You have 2 months or 60 days to buck up your socks, see the relevant authorities, be it the Police, J.P.J. or the local authorities to settle the issue.

If eventually you are ever blacklisted, you have only yourselves to blame, and no one else. Because you did not take the hassle to settle your saman ekor swiftly.

By | 2012-09-21T22:18:10+08:00 August 13th, 2010|Driving In Malaysia|5 Comments

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5 Comments

  1. leo August 16, 2010 at 2:35 pm - Reply

    Mr Yap, I am a Malaysian but holds an Australian Driving License. will back to Malaysia for holiday about 3 month, I am just wondering if I could use my Australian Driving License in Malaysia??

    • Cikgu Yap August 17, 2010 at 3:08 pm - Reply

      Yes, your Australian license can be used hare for a reasonable period.

  2. Alwal March 4, 2011 at 12:49 am - Reply

    We also have ‘saman ekor’ in Germany. It is very common here.

  3. Amos January 4, 2012 at 5:57 pm - Reply

    Hi Cikgu, I have receive a regiestered mail from JPJ asking me tp come into JPJ and provide them info of who the driver is and other info like licence and Car Registeration. This is because i parked my car illegally outside the road for only 10minutes as there was nil parking at the LCCT. Aren’t they suppose to give me a fine?

    Do i need to provide them the details? what is the consequences?

    • Cikgu Yap January 5, 2012 at 9:54 am - Reply

      It is you and you alone who decides if you should provide the particulars to JPJ. Should you choose not to cooperate, the authorities will take alternative steps to trace you.

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