Former Road Transport Department (RTD) deputy director-general Yusoff Ayob was today fined RM2,000 by the Putrajaya Magistrates Court for driving on the emergency lane.

Magistrate Mohamed Zaki Abdul Kudos imposed the maximum fine possible, after deputy public prosecutor Izzat Fauzan argued that Yusoff should be given the maximum sentence for breaking the very law he was supposed to uphold as a public officer.

"He needs to be made of an example of, he should have carried out his duties within the confines of the law," Izzat had said, in asking for a deterrent sentence.

Yusoff paid the fine.

Yusoff (photo) committed the offence while driving the car, bearing the licence plate BLY68, in Lingkaran Putrajaya, at 6.27pm on Oct 7, 2016. This was in violation of Rule 53(1) of the Road Traffic Rules 1959, which is an offence under Section 119(1)(c) of the Road Transport Act 1957.

On July 18, he was fined RM600 after pleading guilty to the offence through a representative, as he was not present in court. This courted backlash, and Chief Justice Md Raus Sharif questioned the procedure of Yusoff's sentencing, and the case was referred back to the Magistrates Court.

On July 25, Yusoff was recharged at the Magistrates Court, where he changed his plea to not guilty. His lawyer Baljit Singh Sidhu said then his client had been previously "wrongly advised" to plead guilty. 

As the case progressed, Yusoff was also transferred to the Public Services Department (PSD) – a move which Deputy Transport Minister Ab Aziz Kaprawi had maintained was "normal practice".

When met outside the courtroom today, Baljit said his client has committed a "non-registrable offence" and said they had no plans to appeal.

"It's a road transport offence, every one of us has committed such an offence before. This is quite common," he told reporters.

Yusoff refused to comment.