Experts: But rules needed for those unable to afford compensation
PETALING JAYA: It’s only right that drivers who cause accidents while under the influence of alcohol or drugs be made to compensate their victims.
However, there has to be a clear mechanism and rules on handling those who can’t pay, say experts.
Compensation alone is not enough; strict penalties must be handed down, said Crime Consciousness and Public Safety Society strategic adviser Seah Kok Heng.
“The government must ensure victims receive fair and timely compensation,” he said, adding that effective enforcement was also needed.
“Protecting innocent road users and preventing irresponsible driving must always be a priority,” he said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling Budget 2027, had said the Road Transport Act would be amended to make it mandatory for motorists driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs to pay compensation to their victims.
While agreeing with the move, Road Safety Council of Malaysia executive council member Datuk Suret Singh said there must be a clear mechanism on how compensation is done.
“We need to know the details first and how the compensation is carried out,” he said.
“While we agree, we need to know how it will be implemented.”
Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research chairman Prof Dr Wong Shaw Voon said the compensation plan must be carefully implemented to ensure it is truly effective.
“Not everyone may be able to pay that compensation. If they are unable to pay, how will the family get their compensation?” he asked, stressing that the main goal must always be preventing road crashes.
The Prime Minister, when making his announcement, had cited a crash on the East Coast Expressway in Temerloh on the eve of National Day, which claimed four lives, including those of a married couple and their young child.
Anwar added that 28 fatal cases involving drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs had been recorded as of August this year.
The government will also make telematics systems compulsory in commercial vehicles to monitor speed, location and risky driving patterns, including linking the systems to alcohol-detection devices to screen drivers before they begin their journeys.
Anwar said the Social Security Organisation would also provide health screening vouchers for commercial vehicle drivers to identify medical conditions.
