KUCHING: Sarawak Democratic Action Party (DAP) chairman Chong Chieng Jen is concerned about “unjust traffic fines” by the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department.
He was referring to a recent incident which he highlighted on his Facebook, when he accompanied a self-employed technical electrician to resolve an apparently unjust traffic fine.
Urging the authorities to be fair and reasonable in their enforcement, he said: “The electrician, intercepted on his way to work during the holiday season, faced accusations of using his private van for commercial purposes without proper registration.”
“Despite his explanation that the equipment carried was for his technical work and not for commercial transportation, he was fined and instructed to settle the penalty at the department.
“This incident has raises questions about the interpretation and application of traffic laws,” he said yesterday (Mar 5).
Chong drew parallels between this case and everyday scenarios where individuals use their private vehicles for work-related purposes, such as commuting with laptops or transporting company products.
“Is it against the law for all ‘private cars’ to carry essential work tools without being registered for commercial use? If this is the case, it suggests that regular ‘private car’ owners cannot transport necessary work tools or company goods without risking fines.
“The electrician is a low-income self-employed electrician. If he pleads guilty, he will be fined a minimum fine of RM1,000 or a maximum fine of RM2,000, which is undoubtedly a heavy burden for him,” he said.
Chong said he plans to draft a formal letter to the Sarwak Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department for the revocation of the fine and a fair resolution to the matter.
“This incident underscores the importance of balanced enforcement and the need for authorities to consider individual circumstances before imposing penalties,” he added.
