Alarming number of Rohingya found driving without licenses in Melaka says JPJ

Muhammad Firdaus looking at one of the confiscated cars driven by a Rohingya man without a driving licence.

MELAKA: The high number of Rohingya riding or driving vehicles here without valid licences are alarming, says the Melaka Road Transport Department (JPJ).

Department director Muhammad Firdaus Shariff said 63 individuals from the community had their vehicles confiscated for being on the road without a licence from the start of this year to July.

“This is troubling as it poses risk to the other motorists while JPJ is only empowered to confiscate the vehicles and issue summonses," he said after a briefing with the media on the digitalisation of JPJ at the department’s headquarters in Bukit Katil here on Thursday (Aug 10).

Muhammad Firdaus said foreigners must understand that having a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) card doesn’t qualify them to drive or ride without a licence and they should follow the rules in this country.

During an operation on Wednesday (Aug 9), he said 19 Rohingya were found to be on the road without driving licences.

“My men managed to detect these foreigners within only two hours of the operation that started at 5pm and ended at 6.45pm along routes surrounding the Melaka Sentral bus terminal here.

“I believe we would be able to detect more of such cases if we conducted more operations throughout the state,” he said.

Muhammad Firdaus said during the operation, 23 motorcycles and two cars were confiscated under Section 64(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 while a total of 35 vehicles were checked on that day.

He said apart from the Rohingyas, eight Bangladeshis and one Pakistani were also found to be on the road without valid driving licences while ten of these vehicles had no insurance coverage after the road tax expired.

“Locals should stop lending or selling their vehicles to illegal immigrants or foreigners without proper documents,” he added.