The police have slashed traffic fines by up to 70 percent to help drivers who are struggling with the high cost of living as fuel prices soar, a senior official said today.

Internal Security and Public Order Director Mustafa Abdullah said fines would be lowered from Monday in a move also aimed at encouraging Malaysians to pay up on traffic fines.

"However, traffic offenders who received their summonses earlier must pay according to the old rates to avoid legal complications," he was quoted as saying by the state Bernama news agency.

New rates

Mustafa said the new rates would be maintained if Malaysians responded positively, and dismissed concerns the decision would encourage motorists to break traffic rules.

The police official said that fines would not be reduced for serious offences such as fatal accidents, drunk or dangerous driving, and illegal racing.

Changes include a reduction in fines from RM70 to RM50 for not wearing seat belts, from RM70 to RM30 for motorcyclists without helmets, and from RM100 to RM70 for using a mobile phone while driving, Bernama said.

Malaysian police last year introduced a 50 percent discount on fines for a month in an effort to clear a backlog of unpaid summonses.