Loke said there was a need to send a message that summonses for road traffic offences were meant to educate, while an offer of discounts might imply leniency.

“Other agencies, like the police, may have different considerations, but JPJ is under the transport ministry and is responsible for road safety issues,” he told reporters after attending a unity government anniversary celebration in Kuala Lumpur.

The police are currently offering discounts of up to 50% for selected traffic summonses in conjunction with the unity government’s first anniversary.

Loke’s comments came in response to public complaints on why there were no discounts for JPJ summonses.

Loke said he had implemented a no-discount policy in his first stint as transport minister in 2018.

“I cancelled more than four million summonses from the automated enforcement system. Many people welcomed it at the time, but it was a one-off decision and not intended to set a precedent,” he said.

“The government could have gained RM600 million in revenue if we had collected those summonses, but we chose to write them off.”

He expressed regret over the public’s disappointment, especially after many had visited the JPJ counter yesterday seeking discounts.

“When this matter caused a bit of confusion yesterday, I held a special meeting with the transport ministry’s secretary-general and JPJ’s top management. We unanimously affirmed that no summonses would be given any discounts,” he said.