The Home Ministry is considering whether or not to give discounts to drivers slapped with ‘saman ekor’ - summonses that are not issued directly to traffic offenders.

hishammuddin hussein ppsmi languanges debate issue 260209 06 Minister Hishammuddin Hussein ( right ) said his ministry is in talks with the Road Transport Department and the police on how to proceed with the plan, as there have been many requests and complaints from the public.

He said there are two main issues facing their decision on whether or not to slap offenders with full fines for the various traffic offences, one of which is claims by vehicles owners that the said offences were committed by others using their vehicles.

Hishammuddin added that his ministry decided to review their no-discount position as they believe they have already achieved their intended objective, which is to impress on the public that they are duty-bound to pay any and all summonses for traffic offences.

He however did not give a time frame for a decision on the matter, leaving it to his ministry’s secretary-general Mahmood Adam to work out the details.

traffic police and summons 200606 “Whatever the decision, it will be based on the principle that if there is a summons, it must be paid and that must come across to the public,” Hishammuddin said at a press conference at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur today.

The practice of saman ekor, so named for being akin to ‘tailing’ offenders long after an offence is committed, has sparked much public irritation to the point that a Kempen Anti Saman Ekor (Kase) was launched in protest yesterday.

It was earlier reported that over 10 million traffic summonses had been issued and offenders would be barred from renewing their road tax and driving licences if they did not pay up.

Kase chairperson Mahfuz Omar said the practice is unconstitutional, citing a court ruling in Sarawak which deemed that the practice of blacklisting offenders contravenes Article 13 of the federal constitution, that states that no law may provide for compulsory acquisition or use of property without adequate compensation.