Singapore and Thailand Vehicles' Passengers Must also Wear Rear Seatbelt

1. I got this from The New Straits Time today. This is indeed a good information to those who come to Malaysia for visit, even it is quite self-explanatory. Motorists from Singapore and Thailand, entering the country, will not be exempted from the new regulation on the compulsory use of rear seatbelts. Road Transport Department director-general Datuk Solah Mat Hassan said under the Road Transport Act 1987, back-seat passengers, regardless of whether they were locals or foreigners, must buckle up.

2. He said errant rear seat passengers would be issued a maximum compound fine of RM300. Solah said the fine for those who failed to abide by the rule would be increased to the maximum of RM2,000, or a year's jail, or both, beginning in July. He said the department was doing everything to disseminate information on the new rule to motorists from the neighbouring countries. However, he did not elaborate on the method used. Wonder why? haha..you got the answer. But I really support 100% for this law to be applied to foreigners.

"No one will be exempted from buckling up. Everybody, even motorists from Singapore and Thailand, must buckle up or a fine will be issued.

"Stringent checks will be carried out to ensure that local and foreign motorists follow the rules."

3. He said, up to yesterday, a total of 67 compound fines were issued to those who had failed to use their rear seatbelts in the northern zone. A total of 37 motorists were fined in Perak, 19 in Perlis, eight in Kedah and three in Penang. Checks by the New Straits Times at the Anti-Smuggling Unit operation site, at Km 4.8 of the Bukit Kayu Hitam-Jitra expressway, found that several rear seat passengers travel from Thailand did not use their seatbelts. The officers had to explain the ruling to the motorists as they were unaware of it. Agreed. They deserve some kind of explaination or at least advice before getting the tickets.