PUTRAJAYA: Proposed amendments to the Road Transport Act 1987 will incorporate a universal principle allowing road accident victims to seek compensation from convicted offenders who have been driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, without filing separate civil suits.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said Malaysia currently has a dual system, which requires drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs to face criminal proceedings, while victims seeking compensation must file separate civil suits.
He also said the policy paper of the Bill had been approved by the Cabinet prior to the tabling of Budget 2027, with the ministry now working on the draft with the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC).
“So anyone who drives under the influence of alcohol or drugs, they will be charged by the police and then by AGC.
“This is where the problem lies because some victims do not have the means to file a civil case and it will take years for them to get the compensation in a civil case.
“What we are doing right now is combining these two into one so that when the case is brought to the court, the judge can also award compensation to the victims.
“It is a universal principle and is very much an Islamic principle as well, which we want to adopt, and it will be applied to everyone,” he said at a special press conference on Budget 2027 yesterday.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling Budget 2027, had said the Act would be amended to make it mandatory for motorists driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs to pay compensation to victims.
Loke said the Transport Ministry was targeting the first parliamentary sitting next year to table the proposed amendments, as there were several technical issues that had to be considered.
