JPJ to tighten the issuing of driving licenses, in light of ‘lesen terbang’ menace

PONTIAN: The Road Transport Department (JPJ) will form a special committee to look into a proper mechanism to tighten the issuing of driving licenses.

Its director general Datuk Seri Shaharuddin Khalid (pic) said this comes following the arrest made by Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission (MACC) on 12 JPJ officers pertaining to “lesen terbang”.

“Among the methods we are looking at is improving our computer systems to make it harder for certain quarters to abuse it to issue the “lesen terbang,” he added.

He said this after presenting a retirement letter to Syamaizar Mohamad Yahya, who sustained serious injuries in a road accident on Aug 10, 2016, which resulted him to become bedridden, at his home in Kampung Sawah here on Monday (Sept 24).

Shaharuddin also pointed out that the department has received “lesen terbang” from its owners, but declined to give the specific numbers.

“Those that have yet to return their “lesen terbang” should do so immediately, where they are required to retake the driving test all over again,” he said.

It was reported that authorities have given those who obtained "lesen terbang" a month to surrender their driving licences.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said should they do so within the deadline, they will not be prosecuted.

"Lesen terbang" refers to licences obtained illegally by making a payment and not sitting for the written and practical tests.

Loke said JPJ has the data and information of those who had obtained their licences by paying JPJ officers to get hold of the documents by using the conversion of foreign driving licence procedure.

While a majority of the 14,000 drivers believed to have obtained their licences via this method are Malaysians, some are also foreigners, mainly from China.

Loke said that these irresponsible people resorted to this service because they wanted an easy way of getting a licence.