Driving schools turn towards e-books

Switch is due to recurring shortage of printed syllabus, says Liow

PUTRAJAYA: All driving schools in the country are expected to fully use e-books by 2020, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

These schools, he said, would start doing away with physical textbooks as it moved towards e-books.

“The Road Transport Department (JPJ) currently has a two-year contract with a printing company to come out with the textbooks. We have to complete this contract.

“Once the contract is over in 2020, we will not renew it anymore and will switch fully to e-books,” Liow told reporters after launching the Malaysian Driving Institution Association (PIMA) 18th annual general meeting here yesterday.

The switch to e-books, he added, was due to the shortage of driving syllabus textbooks which had become a recurring problem in the country’s driving schools.

Also present at the event were JPJ director- general Datuk Seri Shaharuddin Khalid and PIMA president Mat Aris Bakar.

On the Anti-Fake News Bill, Liow said action would not be taken against members of the press who had reported a quote which was later found to be false or fake.

“The Act will totally not affect press freedom in the country. After all, the press merely reports what is said by another person.

“If the person utters something to the press that is considered as fake news, then action will be taken against him, not the press that reported it,” he said, denying accusations that the Bill was designed for “political manipulation”.

Liow said the Government only had the public’s interest at heart when it decided to table the Bill.

“What is most important here is the rakyat. The Bill is meant to protect their interests. Some have claimed it is for political manipulation, which is not true.”