Loke denies new tint ruling to generate income

PUTRAJAYA: The Transport Minister says a committee will vet all applications for full car tints for security or health reasons.

Rejecting the claim that the ministry changed its policy on tinting just to generate revenue for the government, Anthony Loke said the setting up of the committee would ensure no abuse of power by the minister or Road Transport Department (JPJ) director-­general.

He said although the government considered the potential revenue involved, this did not mean that “those able to afford the RM5,000 charge will get their applications approved”.

“There will be a committee and processes (to follow) particularly, to filter out those with criminal records. I have surrendered my power to this committee,” he told a press conference at the ministry here yesterday.

Loke was responding to his predecessor Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai’s views that the RM5,000 charge seemed to be “only looking at the revenue side”.

The former minister was reported by a news portal as saying that previously, JPJ used its discretion to approve applications and that the new ruling implied that anyone could apply as long as they could pay.

According to ministry statistics, there were 1,631 applications for security and 349 applications for health reasons submitted last year.

Loke maintained that the ministry had considered the views of the police before changing the policy on car tinting, which he said was based on findings of a workshop held in 2014. “Some supported our move and some did not. We respect all views, and what has been decided upon took into account all considerations and factors,” he said.

Loke said the workshop decided on amending the allowed Visible Light Transmittance (VLT) level for rear windows from 50% to 30%. VLT refers to the amount of light that passes through a lens or glass. The lower the VLT rate, the more light is blocked.

Conceding that there was no follow-up to the previous workshop, Loke explained that United Nations regulations did not specify any VLT level for the rear windshield and windows.

“What we have decided (on the VLT) is in line with international standards,” he said.

Loke said vehicle tinting regulations fell under the jurisdiction of his ministry, adding that JPJ director-general Datuk Seri Shaha­ruddin Khalid would work with the police to coordinate enforcement on the latest ruling.

Bukit Aman Department of Investigation and Traffic Enforcement director Deputy Comm Datuk Azisman Alias had said that police were not consulted on the new tinting ruling.

He said the latest ruling compromised on safety of policemen as it would make it harder for them to observe passengers seated at the back seat.