Selangor Journal
Police say many are still defying and not taking the movement control order seriously. — File Picture by BERNAMA

Cops launch daily roadblocks to clamp down drink-driving

SHAH ALAM, Feb 21 — Federal police have initiated a daily operation codenamed “Ops Mabuk” to clamp down drunk motorists, Malay Mail reported today.

The operations had started last week to reduce the number of accidents involving drink-driving as there had been several cases that ended in serious injuries and deaths since the beginning of the year.

“Bukit Aman has instructed all police headquarters nationwide to conduct Ops Mabuk every day. Such an operation was initiated by Kuala Lumpur police and now has been extended to all states in the country,” Bukit Aman Traffic Investigations and Enforcement Department director Deputy Comm Datuk Azisman Alias told the English news portal.

He said policemen on roadblock duty are equipped with an electronic breath analyser to test all motorists suspected of drink-driving.

Azisman added that in January alone, 316 motorists across the country were arrested for drink-driving. A total of 3,702 suspects were tested in 116 operations.

Last year, 1,116 drivers were arrested for drink-driving out of checks on 20,966 motorists and 19,281 vehicles in 911 operations.

“Based on these statistics and comparing them to the previous years, there has been a minor increase in drink and drive cases,” Azisman was quoted, citing a study by World Health Organisation that stated Malaysia to be among 35 nations marked to have a “high” rate of drink-driving accidents.

Yesterday, Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar said the Federal government would continue with efforts to amend existing laws on drunk driving offences to reduce road crashes involving drunk-drivers.

He said the amendments, which included imposing heavier penalties on drunk drivers, were expected to be tabled in Parliament in June or July this year.

Top Picks

Police arrests French-Israeli man with six guns in Kuala Lumpur

Litrak’s toll rebate prog for Damansara-Puchong Expressway users ends April 1