KUCHING, Jan 18: The use of children safety seat inside a vehicle will be made compulsory effective July 1 this year.
State Road Transport Department (JPJ) director, Mohd Syafiq Anas Abdullah, said drivers who failed to comply with the ruling after that will be issued with a summon of between RM300 and RM1,000, or risk prosecution in court.
If found guilty, the accused will be fined RM2,000 or six months’ imprisonment, he added.
Mohd Syafiq said the new child seat ruling was approved by the federal Cabinet in December last year.
“For the children safety seat, the matter is still in the advocating period for six months until this June, where JPJ will distribute notice to car drivers.
“After the six months grace period, those who failed to comply with the ruling will face actions from our enforcement officers,” he told reporters after launching the two-week state JPJ operations in conjunction with the coming Chinese New Year festival on Jan 25-26.
Mohd Syafiq said the notices on the car seat ruling will be issued starting today. He urged drivers who ferry children inside their car to adhere to the ruling on the use of children safety seat.
He added that car drivers would be verbally advised and reminded on the compulsory use of children safety chair during the two-week operation.
The advice and reminders were to ensure that car owners take the matter seriously and abide by the ruling, he continued.
Mohd Syafiq also said that lorries are not allowed to be on the road two days before and after Chinese New year, adding that the department had a meeting with lorries and buses associations about the matter. — DayakDaily
