Ops Warta II is still sought to be used as a public intimidation exercise to get the traffic offenders on whom police has failed to serve the police summons (POL 257) or police notification (POL 170A) to come out forward on their own to settle the same.

Intimidation still takes the form of a threat to send thousands of police personnel to put up roadblocks, conduct house-to-house searches, ambush car parks of commercial buildings and shopping complexes, but instead of arrest-and-handcuff-and-lock-up on sight the offenders with oustanding dues, to serve the POL 257 and 170A on them.

The operation, as pointed out by Minister in Prime Minister's Department Dr Rais Yatim, had proceeded on a wrong legal premise that the motorists have a duty to find out on their own whether they have any outstanding summonses or notifications against them.

Whereas the legal requirement is that the police should have first served these summonses and notifications on the offenders before any consequences of compounded fine(s) or even issuance of warrant of arrest.

The whole problem of this Op Warta II then is that it is precisely intended to circumvent the requirement on the traffic authorities part to carry out their legal duty to serve summonses and notifications and having to cope with the problems attendant thereto.

The authorities, by placing a greater priority on expediency than acting within the law, violated the rights and inconvenienced a large number of motorists.

Ops Warta II cannot, like a juggernaut, roll on. Serious consideration should be given for it to be immediately called off by reasons of the following:

  • The rights of the motoring public is being trampled on as highlighted not only by civil groups like the Bar Council and opposition leaders like Lim Kit Siang but also by members of the establishment acquainted with intricacies of the law like Dr Rais Yatim.

  • Lawmakers should not be lawbreakers. Problems faced by the authorities in collecting the outstanding fines cannot take greater importance than the upholding of the law.

  • The political backlash, without forgetting also the consequences of legal suits against the government and the police for not adhering to the traffic laws when enforcing them.

  • Using the Attorney-General's Chamber to repackage the objectives of Ops Warta II — from enforcing and punishment to just serving summonses and notifications — will be perceived as a lack of grace to admit a mistake and will in turn do more harm than good for the image of traffic police.

  • Credibility will suffer a further setback when it becomes apparent to the public that the operation has greater 'threat' value than feasibility. Logistically, it is impossible for the several thousands of traffic police to comb the country to find the millions of culprits.

  • It will cause the people much inconvenience and sufferings when roadblocks are set up at shopping complexes or roads. Malaysia will become one chaotic country and businesses and tourism industry will suffer.

  • Damage has already been done as the public now see the police as the goatherd who cried 'wolf' once too often. Let's hope we have a happier ending though.