They said the law was clear that driving licences are a must for the operation of road vehicles, which Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research chairman Wong Shaw Voon described as “killing machines”.
Wong told FMT that it was illogical to accuse the government of being unfair by requiring BUDI95 recipients to have driving licences, saying road users who drive vehicles illegally are endangering others.
“Why do we need a licence to operate a vehicle in the first place? Because they are killing machines. They can kill you and other innocent people. So you must go through the proper ‘training’ and assessment to determine that you’re capable of operating them.
“If someone dies because of an unlicensed road user, imagine what happens to the family. What if the victim is the family’s breadwinner?
“Not having a valid licence to drive any motor vehicle on a public road is illegal. This is the law, no matter what. Driving is not a right but a privilege that one has to earn,” he said.
Wong said even those who only ride motorcycles or drive around their housing areas or small towns must have licences. As long as they are on public roads, they risk exposing others to danger, he maintained.
“If you’re using it on your private property – your small farm or plantation – you can do as you wish, because you wouldn’t expect members of the public to be present.
“On public roads, you’re not the only one who may suffer the consequences of your incompetence. That’s why we need to ensure that whoever uses public roads are qualified to man those machines. It’ll never be 100% safe but at least we’re doing our level best to prevent accidents.”
Road Safety Council member Lee Lam Thye agreed, saying it was not right to exempt anyone from the BUDI95 requirement when the law clearly mandates that all road users must have valid licences.
He said this should not even be up for debate when driving tests are prepared in such a way to ensure that licence holders are capable of driving on the road and aware of traffic rules.
“At least a licence holder would have some education about road safety and how to operate his vehicle. Compare this with someone who drives illegally and doesn’t know anything about traffic rules, signage – they’re a danger to others.
“This is crucial to avoid unwanted incidents and to protect the safety and lives of others,” said the Alliance for a Safe Community chairman.
Beginning next Tuesday, the government will provide up to 300 litres of RON95 petrol per month at RM1.99 per litre for all Malaysians aged 16 and above with a valid driving licence.
Since the announcement of the subsidy programme on Monday, the road transport department has recorded 26,991 licence renewals through the MyJPJ app, the mySikap portal, kiosks, and counters nationwide.
However, this was criticised by some netizens, with some asking for exemptions for those residing in villages.