Recently, a viral incident shocked the nation when a motorcyclist with a mental disability was beaten up by a group of individuals after he crashed into a stall in Chukai, Terengganu.
The incident sparked outrage and discussions among the public, one of which included a call by the National Road User Association (PPJK) for the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to revoke the driving licences of individuals certified to be a person with a mental disability by the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Association urges JPJ to revoke the driving licences of those with mental disabilities
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Berita Harian quoted PPJK President Fahami Ashrof Badaruddin as saying that allowing a person with a mental disability to operate a vehicle on the road endangers other road users.
Accordingly, he urged MOH to inform JPJ of any individuals who have mental disabilities so that their driving licences would be revoked and stressed that, logically, a person with a mental disability shouldn’t be allowed to drive.
Besides that, Fahami also said that PPJK will send a letter to JPJ or the Ministry of Transport (MOT) to ensure driving schools are aware of students who have mental disabilities.
The Transport Minister has since responded to the suggestion
Anthony Loke Siew Fook
The matter was also brought up by reporters to Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook after he attended an event in Ipoh, Perak, today.
According to BERNAMA, Loke asserted that the government doesn’t have a policy to revoke or cancel the driving licences of persons with disabilities (OKU), including those with mental disabilities, and that they shouldn’t be made scapegoats simply due to isolated incidents involving the group.
He added that it is not the Government’s policy to victimise all OKUs, as they also need licences for their daily activities and instead, appropriate action will be taken based on specific cases.
The Transport Minister said,
“We should not generalise that all OKU drivers cannot operate vehicles safely.”
Furthermore, Loke asserted that most OKU drivers licensed by JPJ are responsible drivers who can handle vehicles well.
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So, what do you guys think of the Transport Minister’s statement? Share your opinions on the matter in the comments!
Also read: JPJ: Over 6 Million Summonses Worth a Whopping RM806.9 Million Have Yet to Be Settled by Offenders
