THE six-month grace period for traffic offenders caught under the saman ekor system may be a welcome reprieve for those with a pile of summonses to settle. But we have to be careful that we do not send out the wrong signals.
It is important that we take heed of the Cabinet’s pronouncement, expressed through Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha, that these offenders still have to clear their existing summonses either through instalments or full payment. And that no discounts will be given.
The reprieve must thus be seen in the perspective of the authorities not wanting to inconvenience motorists, taking into consideration the festive season as Malaysians would be celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, Christmas and the New Year in the months to come.
The promise of a better and improved enforcement system after Feb 28 next year must be fulfilled and it is crucial that all parties start working now to address this issue.
Beyond the emotional and political rhetoric, let us be clear that people who break the law must not be allowed to get away with it.
The whole purpose of making motorists behave on the road is essentially to save lives. It is not about the number of summonses issued or the amount of money that can be collected.
We need to fully comprehend the loss to our country when lives are cut short because some irresponsible drivers choose to ignore speed limits or drive recklessly on our roads.
Road tragedies not only impact the immediate families, but also our society.
For example, in February this year, three young government doctors aged between 26 and 28 lost their lives in a tragic road accident involving a sports car and a bus in Tanjung Aru, Sabah.
It takes at least six years to train a doctor to serve; and an accident like this puts a heavy toll on the already strained medical resources in our country.
The fact that so many people have been caught by saman ekor means that the system works, even if repeat offenders do not seem too concerned about getting tickets.
If there are problems with the way summonses are issued, or in the possibility of registered mail not reaching their intended recipients, let us together work out the kinks in the system.
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