6 Things New Drivers Need To Follow To Keep Their Licenses

It takes months to get a driving license in Malaysia. Getting a driving license also requires quite a lot of money. Before I became a driving school instructor, more than 40 over years ago, I’ve always wondered how on earth I was to secure driving licenses for my children, when they attained the permissible age of applying for a driving license.

For readers’ information, I have 3 children, 2 girls and a boy. With a salary of just over RM370 per month, in the 1970’s, I knew that that was no way I was capable to afford securing driving licenses for all my children. And so, to wriggle myself out of my predicament, I solved my problem by becoming a part time driving school instructor.

It should be borne in mind that attempting to take up driving courses to secure driving licenses is rather expensive. The various courses and tests, including tuition fees for driving lessons, can easily reach well over RM1200. I’m sure you’ll agree that a father, with a salary of just under RM370 per month, will be incapable of obtaining driving licenses for all 3 of his children.

Difficult though the odds are, a driving license these days, is a necessary necessity. You cannot do, without a driving license, so they say.

As the story unfolds, I went on to secure my 3 children their driving licenses. I taught my first daughter, S.N. Yap, now 41, and got her driving license way back in the 1980’s. When my son, W.L. Yap, now 35, become 17, it was me who prepared him for his practical test.

Finally, when my 2nd daughter S.L.Yap, now 29, came of age, I sent her for the necessary courses, taught her a few tuition classes for driving and got my good buddy and fellow instructor, Mr. Chandran, who hails from Jalan Telok gadong, in Klang, to take her for her practical tests in Surfine Hitech Academy in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur. She passed with flying colours!

Besides teaching all of my own children and securing them their driving licenses, I also went on to obtain driving licenses for my nieces, S.S. Soh and her sister S.Y. Soh and also not forgetting a host of other nieces and cousins too.

Before I forget, talking about my close buddy and fellow instructor, Mr. Chandran, he unfortunately passed away while holidaying in Australia, some few years ago. May his good soul rest in peace!

Talking about how I secured driving licenses for my children and my nieces and cousins, is not the intention of this article in actual reality. This article infact is entitled The Things P license Holders Do To Warrant their Driving Licenses Being Suspended or Withdrawn By The Authorities, that is the Road Transport Department (RTD).

And what readers have been reading up to now, is just a prelude to telling you what I know firsthand about how many of my P students have lost their P licenses, after they have succeeded in getting their hard earned licenses.

I will also relate to you interesting tales which my P students have set out to perform. If they continue to persist in doing such things, I will be the least surprised they will soon land up in lots of trouble or they might end up losing their licenses altogether.

Before continuing with this article any further, I wish to inform readers that I do give advices to both the parents and the students themselves regarding how to drive safely as a P novice driver. And most important of all, they have to drive safely and carefully.

As a P license holder, drivers have to follow quite a few rules and regulations imposed by the Road Transport Department. Otherwise, their P licenses can easily be suspended by the authorities. Will parents as well as the students themselves, heed my advice? To be frank, some do. But there are also some who disregard the advice given.

What good advices do I wish to give?

Amongst some of the good advices this instructor normally give include:

1) Ensure that cars driven by P drivers are affixed with the mandatory P emblems, both infront and at the rear of the vehicles.

2) Always make it a point to stop at junctions and adhere strictly to traffic lights.

3) Avoid drinking and driving.

4) Initially, when a P driver has just obtained his driving license, parents or brothers or sisters should ideally sit beside the P driver to provide him moral encouragement and guide him through the initial stages of receiving his driving license.

5) Students or drivers who have just obtained their P driving license, should ideally gather experience, driving around the town or housing estates where they reside. After which, P drivers can drive further away from the towns where they reside. Avoid driving across interstates, for example, from Selangor to Malacca or from Johore to Perak.

Driving along expressway and highways require lots of experience, which P drivers do not possess. Furthermore, the art of overtaking along expressways is dangerous. It takes some period of time before a driver can overtake successfully and safely.

6) And most important of all, P drivers should follow rules and regulations laid down, to avoid their P licenses being withdrawn, thus helping to avoid a retest, which in turn will cause a lot of hassle and much wastage of time.

By | 2012-09-20T22:39:24+08:00 July 6th, 2012|Driving License|4 Comments

About the Author:

4 Comments

  1. careful driver July 6, 2012 at 5:06 pm - Reply

    A motorbike knocked the rear (side bumper) of my car in a single lane road. There were some motorbikes in front of me turning left. I slowed down, then as it was a single-lane road (with the other lane for traffic from opposite direction), I turn my car to the opposing lane to overtake the motorbikes in front. Driving slowly.
    This young boy driving a motorbike with no license plate behind me was just about to overtake me and knocked the side rear bumper.He had blood stains on his body…not very serious… no broken bones.but t-shirt torn and a no. of blood stains..
    Whose fault is it?
    I hear from my car mechanic that in accidents involving motorbike, even if it is their fault, they can claim my car insurance.
    Is it correct?

    Anyway, I took pity on him and he asked me to repair his motorbike and we went to motorbike shop and I paid for his motorcycle repairs. But I did NOT write any note. I did not pay for his injuries as I wanted him to “pay” for driving recklessly and so that in future, he will drive carefully.
    Now I am concern that his parents or he may make a police report.
    How do I check whether he make a police report?

    • Cikgu Yap July 10, 2012 at 12:11 pm - Reply

      Any party can make a claim against your car insurance. It is up to your insurance company to make a through investigation before settling any claims put to them. If you are afraid the boy’s parents might take further actions against you later, you could go to your town’s police station to find out if any report has so far been made.

  2. McDonald July 6, 2012 at 5:07 pm - Reply

    Dear Cikgu Yap – last night I was travelling home at 2.30am during heavy rain. A Waja (speeding) appeared on my right and clipped my car, sending it spinning into concrete barrier. i couldnt stop or control my car due to the wet roads. I hit the barrier and my car was smashed in front, and facing the wrong way. The waja never stopped and disappeared and by the time I got my car working, was long gone. Due to the poor visibility and loss of car control, I could not get a number.

    I’m now left with a bashed car which needs to be repaired. what are my options in regard to insurance? is this considered a hit and run? claiming against waja driver cant be done as I didnt get the number. is there any point in making a police report if I do not claim from insurance? Thanks.

    • Cikgu Yap July 10, 2012 at 12:08 pm - Reply

      To make claim against you own insurance, you have to talk to the insurance company about it. If they need you to make a police report, then you have no choice but to make a police report.

Leave A Comment