Enforce demerit point system immediately

GEORGE TOWN: The Kejara demerit point system must be enforced immediately to ensure road users comply with traffic laws, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

He said it was time the system, introduced in 1984, was fully implemented as a lesson to road users who violate traffic regulations.

“There is no need to talk too much about it. We already have the system in place, so what we need to do now is to implement and enforce it.

“I’m sure Kejara will deter stubborn motorists from continuing to violate traffic rules as well as reduce road accidents,” he told reporters after witnessing the handing over of duties of the outgoing Penang police chief Datuk Seri Abdul Rahim Hanafi to his successor, Datuk Abdul Ghafar Rajab.

According to the Kejara system, those who accumulate 15 demerit points will have their licences suspended. The licence will be cancelled if the owner of the licence commits more traffic offences and accumulates 15 demerit points after being suspended three times.

Meanwhile, Khalid said the police will officially submit the proposal to raise the maximum fine for traffic offenders to the government for consideration in the near future.

In another development, he said the Kedah police chief had been instructed to carry out a thorough probe into the allegation that a religious teacher had sustained injuries on the head and hands after being handcuffed and assaulted by two policemen at the Gurun police station, on Tuesday.