My Encounters With The J.P.J. Authorities

The Times I Was Stopped By The J.P.J. Authorities While Instructing Students

As a driving instructor of over 35 years experience, I recall 3 times when I was stopped by the authorities. To tell you the truth, one of the things an instructor hates most is to be stopped by J.P.J. I guess it’s only natural that we all have what’s called a psychological fear regarding such things.

Although I had all the necessary documents such as:
i) S.M.3 or the permit to teach or instruct,
ii) S.M.1 or the permit to conduct driving instruction,
iii) S.M.2 or vehicle’s inspection certificate issued for Puspakom ‘s inspection,

nevertheless, no instructor likes being stopped, especially by the J.P.J.

In my tenure, first as a driving school instructor and then as a driving instructor for the institutes later, I in fact possessed all necessary requirements. As such, I should not fear being stopped for inspection at all.

But as I said, human beings are such, when meeting with spot checks and road blocks, people by nature tend to feel apprehensive. As I explained earlier on, it’s only natural, I suppose, to dislike such things.

As a driving instructor, I was attached to the Sekolah Memandu Mat Saad for over 25 years, conducting its business under Permit P.S.M. 0058. Later on, and currently, I was transferred to an institute in Klang.

For reasons known only to myself, I elect not to disclose the institute I am presently attached to.

What were the 3 times in which I had been stopped by the authorities?

1) The First Time.

The first time, I still remember rather vividly was along the 3rd Mile Jalan Kapar near the Bata Shoe Factory. I happened one evening at around twilight time. 7:30 pm to be exact while crossing a traffic light with a female student.

Cruising along at 30 – 40 km/h. the traffic light suddenly turned yellow. If you were an instructor like myself, what would you then do?

As a lecturer for the 5 hour Kursus Pendidikan Pemandu (K.P.P.) for a long time now, I am well aware that yellow lights indicate Stop. But instead, I instinctly instructed the new learner to accelerate to beat the traffic light.

I admit, should not have acted in this manner. But then, I am only human and it was already too late. That’s was a folly I was to regret for a long time to come.

Stationed a hundred meters away on the left side of the highway was a team of J.P.J. road block officials conducting its usual routine duty. One official with a big red ping-pong bat, stepped forward to signal me to stop.

Instructing my student to immediately signal left to stop, I knew I had committed one traffic offence that could never be excused. The officer who stopped me uttered, “Apa macam ajar kereta?”

Profuse apologies and appeals failed to get me off the hook. I was handed a summons which I later settled at the Petaling Jaya J.P.J. office for RM300. A costly lesson indeed!

With half of the tuition fees used up for settling the above summons, you could say I ended up teaching the female student nearly free. To all other driving instructors reading this article, do not ever emulate what I did many years ago.

2) The Second Time.

The second time I was to be stopped by the J.P.J. was at a housing estate in Taman Chi Liung, Klang. The usual car I was then using, a Datsun 120Y, which had all the necessary documents sustained a mechanical failure that day.

Not wishing to cancel my appointment, I then borrowed another vehicle to teach my student. As luck had it, the J.P.J. authorities were around the vicinity and they stopped me.

As usual, no amount of appeals and requests managed to prevent the officers from wanting to summon me. Finally, a summons was again issued, the reason was that I was using a car that had not undergone Puspakom’s inspection.

3) The Third Time.

To try and relate you the third time I was issued with a summons, I have to delve into my recollections. This was because it happened many years ago.

The third time I was to be handed a summons was at Taman Goodwood or currently renamed Kelana Jaya, Klang. A J.P.J. Pajero stopped me while I was tutoring a young girl.

On upon checking my vehicle, the J.P.J. authorities discovered many items not to their satisfaction. Amongst them were:

i) The wiper of my car it seems were spoilt. No amount of explanation was able to convince the officials that day not to summon me.

ii) My vehicle had only 1 side mirror. The authorities insisted that my car had violated J.P.J.’s requirements.

iii) Upon testing my vehicle, it was further found that the brakes were not in satisfactory condition.

A summons was finally issued. I had to settle a compound amounting to RM300.

The many years I had been an instructor, my encounters with the J.P.J. authorities numbered more than 3. But I shall refrain from quoting others in the fear that it might bore you to read similar encounters.