In a recent announcement made by Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook on 1 April 2024, the Road Transportation Department (JPJ) will be introducing an electronic driving test system (eTesting) after more than 2 years of planning.
Following this, a TikTok video posted by the official JPJ Melaka account @jpjmelaka saw Loke voicing his true thoughts and hopes for the implementation of this new process for Malaysians to get their driver’s licence.
“There are no more guarantees. Take the eTesting, do it right. There won’t be human contact, achieve getting your licence by taking the test and pass with integrity,” said Loke in the TikTok video.
Continuing on, Loke also stated that his goal through this test, which encourages transparency, produces more prudent drivers on the road without there being any doubt or allegations related to the validity of the outcome.
“This has been some of the allegations, and other issues related to people passing their driving test or not when there is human contact. The question becomes whether the driver is being assessed in a manner that is authentic,” added Loke.
Loke also spoke on a term frequently used, of students having to potentially “pao” their way through the examination to ensure their success in qualifying to receive their driver’s licence.
“I have said this many times before. I want to abolish these ‘pao licences’. If eTesting is done, there won’t be an examiner next to the student. Everyone will be assessed through a computer. If one goes on a hill, for example, and they do not touch the line, they will fail immediately. We can’t say there is a ‘pao’ happening,” stated Loke.
In his closing thoughts, Loke also said that it is of upmost importance to, at the same time, protect the credibility of JPJ officers, and to further ensure that their integrity and good name continues to be protected.
Receiving immense praise online, many Malaysians applauded Loke for his active participation in ensuring a more transparent method for people to attain their driver’s licence, as he is after all the Minister of Transport.
Nevertheless, there was also an expression of concern from multiple people appealing under the comments for a monitorisation of the price for driving tests, to ensure that aspiring drivers are able to partake in the process if they seek to without a financial restraint.
It should also be noted, however, that one of the benefits for students by taking the eTesting method is the option for candidates to retake each element on the driving test once on the same day should they fail, without incurring any additional costs.
Watch the full TikTok video below:
@jpjmelaka Masa muda, sering dengar perlu hulur “duit kopi-o” untuk “gerenti lulus” dalam pengambilan lesen memandu. Kini, e-testing atas ujian litar KPP-02 akan hapuskan istilah “gerenti lulus” atau “pau” dalam Bahasa Cina. Tiada penguji di sebelah calon, hanya sensor dan komputer sahaja yang nilai prestasi calon. Kalau gagal memang gagal, kalau lulus memang lulus. Integriti ujian memandu dijaga, keselamatan jalan raya dijamin, integriti Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan Malaysia diperlihara. #MOT #etesting #MalaysiaMadani #SPRMPencegahan
What do you think of the new eTesting method for aspiring drivers? Let us know!
