Putrajaya targets early next year to table law compelling drunk, impaired drivers to compensate victims

The Malaysian Transport Ministry, spearheaded by Minister Anthony Loke, aims to table amendments to the Road Transport Act during the first parliamentary meeting next year.

These amendments, which have received provisional Cabinet approval, will enable courts to order convicted drunk or drug-impaired drivers to compensate victims directly, streamlining criminal and civil proceedings.

This reform, inspired by the principle of "Diyan," seeks to alleviate the financial burden on victims' families by merging compensation with criminal sentencing.

Additionally, the Transport Ministry is collaborating with the Attorney General's Chambers to finalize the draft legislation, ensuring clear mechanisms for assessing and enforcing compensation.

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 12 — The Transport Ministry is targeting the first parliamentary meeting of next year to table amendments to the Road Transport Act that will empower courts to order convicted drunk or drug-impaired drivers to directly compensate victims, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said today.

Loke confirmed that the Cabinet has provisionally approved the policy, with the ministry now working with the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) to finalise the draft legislation.

“We are targeting the first parliamentary sitting next year to table the Bill, hopefully. For now, the work is still in progress,” he told a press conference at the Transport Ministry headquarters here.

Loke said that the proposed legal reform seeks to merge criminal and civil proceedings, enabling trial judges to award financial restitution to victims or their families directly as part of the criminal sentencing process, without requiring them to initiate separate civil lawsuits.

Under the current system, police and prosecutors can pursue criminal charges against motorists who cause fatal or catastrophic collisions while intoxicated or under the influence of narcotics, but victims must secure private lawyers and initiate independent civil suits to claim damages.

Loke said that this puts victims at an acute disadvantage, as many families lack the financial resources to fund protracted litigation, as civil suits could drag on for years before reaching a settlement.

“What we are trying to do now is combine these two processes into one, so that when a case is brought before the court, the judge can also award compensation to the victims,” he said.

Loke said the proposed reform draws inspiration from the legal concept of “Diyan”, which he described as both an Islamic jurisprudence principle and a universal moral standard that obligates wrongdoers to provide restitution to injured parties or bereaved kin.

While Cabinet has adopted the policy stance, Loke said drafting the Bill demands care to establish clear statutory mechanisms for assessing and enforcing payment amounts.

The law will apply universally across all communities, he added.

During the tabling of Budget 2027 last Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim affirmed that legislative amendments to the Road Transport Act would encompass motorists driving under the influence of both alcohol and illicit narcotics.

JPJ assisting police probe into fatal Jalan Kuching crash

On a separate matter, Loke affirmed that the Road Transport Department (JPJ) will extend full technical and data cooperation to the police in their investigation into the fatal hit-and-run collision along Jalan Kuching that claimed the life of a five-year-old girl.

“Cases of this nature fall under the police’s jurisdiction, but the Road Transport Department will, of course, provide the police with full cooperation,” he said.

Police have traced the 24-year-old suspected driver of the BYD Seal involved in the fatal incident. The suspect is currently receiving medical treatment for a concussion under police surveillance at a private hospital in Damansara.

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由部长陆兆福牵头的马来西亚交通部计划在明年第一次国会会议上提交对《道路交通法》的修正案。

这些修正案已获得内阁的初步批准，将使法院能够命令被判有罪的醉驾或毒驾司机直接赔偿受害者，从而简化刑事和民事诉讼程序。

这项改革受到“迪扬”原则的启发，旨在通过将赔偿与刑事判决相结合，减轻受害者家属的经济负担。

此外，交通部正与总检察署合作，最终确定立法草案，以确保有明确的机制来评估和执行赔偿。

布城，10月12日讯——交通部长陆兆福今天表示，交通部计划在明年的第一次国会会议上提出对《道路交通法》的修正案，赋予法院权力，责令被判酒驾或毒驾的司机直接赔偿受害者。

陆兆福证实，内阁已初步批准该政策，目前该部正与总检察署合作，以最终确定立法草案。

“我们希望能在明年议会第一次会议上提交这项法案。目前，相关工作仍在进行中。”他在交通部总部举行的新闻发布会上表示。

陆兆福表示，拟议的法律改革旨在合并刑事和民事诉讼程序，使审判法官能够在刑事判决过程中直接向受害者或其家属判处经济赔偿，而无需他们提起单独的民事诉讼。

在现行制度下，警方和检察官可以对酒后或吸毒后造成致命或灾难性碰撞的驾驶员提起刑事诉讼，但受害者必须聘请私人律师并提起独立的民事诉讼来索赔。

洛克表示，这让受害者处于极其不利的地位，因为许多家庭缺乏足够的经济资源来支付旷日持久的诉讼费用，民事诉讼可能会持续数年才能达成和解。

他说：“我们现在正在努力将这两个程序合并为一个程序，这样，当案件提交法院时，法官也可以向受害者判处赔偿。”

陆兆福表示，这项改革的灵感来源于“Diyan”这一法律概念，他将其描述为伊斯兰教法原则和普遍道德标准，要求作恶者向受害方或死者家属提供赔偿。

尽管内阁已采纳该政策立场，但陆兆福表示，起草该法案需要谨慎，以建立明确的法定机制来评估和执行支付金额。

他补充说，这项法律将普遍适用于所有社区。

上周五，在提交 2027 年财政预算案时，首相拿督斯里安华·易卜拉欣确认，对《道路交通法》的立法修正案将涵盖在酒精和非法毒品影响下驾驶的驾驶员。

JPJ协助警方调查古晋路致命车祸

另据报道，陆兆福重申，陆路交通局（JPJ）将全力配合警方调查古晋路发生的致命肇事逃逸事故，该事故导致一名五岁女童丧生。

他说：“此类案件属于警方管辖范围，但陆路运输部门当然会全力配合警方。”

警方已追踪到涉嫌驾驶比亚迪Seal摩托车造成致命事故的24岁嫌疑司机。该嫌疑人目前正在白沙罗一家私立医院接受脑震荡治疗，并受到警方监视。

陆兆福宣布国库控股将修复吉隆坡火车站和马来西亚铁道公司总部，并希望看到资产出售索赔案的终结。

陆兆福表示，可无限次骑乘KTM摩托车的MyKomuter50通行证有望在12月1日前推出。

苏丹易卜拉欣对阿卜杜拉二世访问马来西亚表示，他相信此行将加强马来西亚与约旦的关系。

朝圣基金局系统在网络攻击后恢复运行，储户存款安全得到确认。