KUCHING – The Sarawak Road Transport Department (JPJ) has ramped up enforcement against commercial vehicles under its Ops Gempur through its local operations unit.
The effort, which emphasises regulatory compliance and public safety, has resulted in bolstered patrols and monitoring across the broad swaths of the city’s most commercial thoroughfares.
Acting upon a routine enforcement exercise today in the MJC Batu Kawa area, an officer on duty halted the lorry for a standard inspection.
When the authorities checked the driver’s paperwork, they realised that the person at the wheel was a foreigner who did not have the necessary legal permission to drive such a vehicle in Malaysia.
Investigations identify that the driver held neither a Competent Driving Licence (CDL) nor Goods Driving Licence (GDL).
For anyone wishing to operate commercial transport vehicles, these vocational documents are crucial legal requirements and provide verification of professional training and safety standards.
These rules that were ignored are extremely critical, making immediate action a top priority for JPJ Sarawak officials. The seized lorry was impounded on the spot in accordance with relevant laws.
“The operation was conducted under principal regulations, and JPJ Sarawak would not issue an international issue against any violation which could endanger road users,” said a department spokesperson after the operation. The department has previously emphasised that commercial transport operators have a duty of care to other road users.
Operators and vehicle owners are strongly advised to exercise due diligence when hiring staff. They must be Malaysian citizens and they must always have a valid, updated licence, which is strictly enforced as a requirement for all commercial drivers.
Noncompliance with such rules not only brings about the seizure of company assets but also constitutes a significant threat to public safety on Sarawak’s roads.
This is part of a sustained effort by local authorities to enforce transport laws and ensure the logistics sector acts within the law.
Ops Gempur patrols will continue throughout Kuching to prevent a similar offence from recurring and ensure only qualified, legitimate people are scheduled to drive commercial heavy machinery, said the department.
