MELAKA: Motorcycles sold for less than the price of a smartphone are ending up in the hands of foreigners who are riding them illegally on public roads, exposing a thriving underground market uncovered by the Road Transport Department (JPJ).
Melaka JPJ director Siti Zarina Mohd Yusop said the practice was detected during Ops Pemandu Warga Asing (Op Pewa), which was carried out from June 16 to June 25 at several hotspots across the state.
She said 60 vehicles used by foreigners were seized during the operation, comprising 47 motorcycles, nine cars, two goods vehicles and two other vehicles.
"Investigations found that most of the motorcycles had been purchased outright from local owners without any legal transfer of ownership, with prices ranging from RM800 to RM1,500," she said on Friday (June 26).
Siti Zarina said the offences detected included driving without a valid licence, using vehicles with expired road tax and operating uninsured vehicles, all of which are offences under the Road Transport Act 1987.
She said Bangladeshis accounted for the highest number of cases with 23, followed by Pakistanis (12), Rohingya (11), Indonesians (eight), Myanmarese (four) and other nationalities (two).
Siti Zarina said many of the motorcycles involved were older models that had quietly changed hands outside the legal ownership transfer process, allowing them to continue being used on public roads despite lacking the required documentation.
Throughout the operation, she said enforcement officers inspected 243 vehicles and issued 196 notices for various offences.
Siti Zarina added that the operation was not aimed at targeting any particular group but was intended to ensure all road users complied with the law.
She also reminded vehicle owners that they could face legal action for allowing individuals without valid driving licences to use their vehicles.
