Putrajaya still working on loophole in planned road crash payouts: What if offenders have no money?

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — Bereaved families who lose a breadwinner to reckless or drunk drivers could soon secure direct compensation through criminal courts, but the federal government is still working out how awards will be collected if the convicted motorist possesses no financial means.

The Transport Ministry is preparing amendments to the Road Transport Act 1987 to establish a statutory compensation framework for victims and lawful heirs in road crashes resulting in death or grievous hurt, according to a written parliamentary reply tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.

Responding to a query from Setiu MP Shaharizukirnain Abd. Kadir, the ministry said that Putrajaya favours judicial discretion over fixed administrative payout caps.

Under the envisioned framework, criminal trial judges would order convicted motorists to pay restitution assessed on case merits, factoring in the severity of injuries, the tangible economic loss suffered by dependants, and the offender's financial standing.

However, tailoring compensation to an offender's personal wealth exposes a major enforcement loophole, as impoverished or unhedged drivers may be unable to settle substantial awards. The ministry acknowledged this structural hurdle, confirming that technical working groups are examining recovery mechanisms.

“The government is also examining the question of the offender’s ability to pay compensation, the method of payment, and enforcement of the order if the offender lacks sufficient assets or financial means.

“This is important to ensure that compensation orders are not only legally authorised but actually benefit victims and heirs,” the ministry said.

Without a state-backed insolvency guarantee or an integrated insurance recovery mechanism, legal experts note that restitution orders risk becoming hollow paper judgments.

For lower-income households that rely entirely on a single breadwinner, the sudden loss of an income earner delivers immediate financial destitution that paper awards cannot relieve.

The ministry stressed that justice for crash victims must extend beyond penal incarceration to address the economic fallout endured by surviving dependants.

It noted that inter-agency consultations with relevant ministries and legal stakeholders are ongoing to finalise the mechanism.

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吉隆坡，10 月 28 日讯——因鲁莽驾驶或酒后驾驶而失去家庭经济支柱的家属，可能很快就能通过刑事法庭获得直接赔偿，但联邦政府仍在研究，如果被定罪的司机没有经济能力，赔偿金将如何发放。

根据提交给下议院的书面议会答复，交通部正在准备修订 1987 年道路交通法，以建立针对因道路交通事故造成死亡或重伤的受害者及其合法继承人的法定赔偿框架。

针对Setiu国会议员Shaharizukirnain Abd. Kadir的询问，该部表示，布城倾向于司法裁量权，而不是固定的行政赔偿上限。

根据设想的框架，刑事审判法官将命令被定罪的驾驶员支付根据案件事实评估的赔偿金，考虑伤害的严重程度、受抚养人遭受的实际经济损失以及违法者的经济状况。

然而，根据违法者的个人财富量身定制赔偿方案会暴露出一个重大的执法漏洞，因为贫困或未进行对冲的司机可能无力支付巨额赔偿金。交通部承认这一结构性障碍，并确认技术工作组正在研究追偿机制。

“政府还在研究罪犯是否有能力支付赔偿金、支付方式以及如果罪犯缺乏足够的资产或经济能力，如何执行该命令等问题。

该部表示：“这对于确保赔偿令不仅具有法律效力，而且能够真正惠及受害者和继承人至关重要。”

法律专家指出，如果没有国家支持的破产担保或综合保险追偿机制，赔偿令可能会变成一纸空文。

对于完全依赖单一经济支柱的低收入家庭来说，收入来源的突然丧失会立即造成经济上的赤贫，而纸面上的救济金无法缓解这种赤贫。

该部强调，对车祸受害者的公正对待必须超越监禁，还要解决幸存家属所遭受的经济损失。

报告指出，目前正在与相关部委和法律利益相关方进行跨部门磋商，以最终确定该机制。

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