In a stinging attack on the Road Transport Department (RTD), Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia has likened its director Ismail Ahmad’s grasp of the national language to immigrants over a recent gaffe.

The newspaper, under its official editorial pseudonym Awang Selamat, also re-produced a brief transcript of Ismail’s interview on Astro Awani which has become a viral joke on the Internet.

“Many were stunned at Ismail’s poor language which is similar to immigrants particularly Nepalese and Bangladeshi.

“Awang cannot understand how the head of a department cannot speak properly and accurately for the public’s information while on television,” it said in Mingguan Malaysia today, the Sunday edition of Utusan Malaysia.

Ismail ( right ), who had intended to say the RTD aimed at reducing road accident deaths to 5,358 from a projected 10,716 in 2020, instead blurted that the department aimed to see 5,358 people die by then.

“We estimate that 10,716 people will die (in road accidents) by 2020 so this is part of our efforts to reduce road accident deaths among Malaysians.

“Because we have a key performance index, we only want 5,358 people to die by 2020,” he was quoted as saying.

The daily said while it is an apparent mistake, this was unacceptable coming from a high ranking public servant.

It added that the latest gaffe comes amid a string of other controversial statements by the RTD which have irked the public.

‘RTD flip-flopping’

This, the newspaper said, include the department’s flip-flop on enforcement against dark car windshields and windows, as well as car plate numbers.

“What has happened to the department which credibility is increasingly coming into question, particularly in key issues namely weak and seasonal enforcement which has yet to be addressed?” it said.

The newspaper also cited online claims that the RTD chief’s own vehicle number plate allegedly violated the department’s rules, on top of supposedly having several unpaid summonses.

“Last week, it was announced the enforcement against car number plates will be postponed after more than a week of operations.

“This is the problem with the RTD, it is like a yo-yo, its talk is not translated into action,” it said.

The daily urged Putrajaya to intervene, claiming that the RTD had become “the most unpopular” agency and warning that this may impact the government.

“RTD is now the most unpopular department in the public’s eye as witnessed on social media.

“In fact, JPJ has to be rebranded before the government becomes entangled by its negative aura,” it said.