MELAKA: The high number of Rohingya riding or driving vehicles here without valid licences is alarming, according to the Melaka Road Transport Department (JPJ). Department director Muhammad Firdaus Shariff stated that 63 individuals from the community had their vehicles confiscated for driving without a licence from the beginning of this year until July. “This is troubling as it poses a risk to other motorists, and JPJ is only empowered to confiscate the vehicles and issue summonses,” he said during a briefing with the media at the department’s headquarters in Bukit Katil on Thursday (Aug 10).
Another point highlighted by Muhammad Firdaus is that foreigners must understand that possessing a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) card does not qualify them to drive without a licence, and they are expected to follow the rules in this country.
In an operation carried out on Wednesday (Aug 9), 19 Rohingya were found to be driving without licences. “My men managed to detect these foreigners within only two hours of the operation, which started at 5pm and ended at 6.45pm along routes surrounding the Melaka Sentral bus terminal here. I believe we could detect more cases like this if we conducted more operations throughout the state,” he added.
During the operation, a total of 35 vehicles were checked, resulting in the confiscation of 23 motorcycles and two cars under Section 64(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987. In addition to the Rohingyas, eight Bangladeshis and one Pakistani were also found driving without valid licences, and ten of these vehicles had no insurance coverage after the road tax expired.
Muhammad Firdaus also urged locals to stop lending or selling their vehicles to illegal immigrants or foreigners without proper documents.
