Malaysia to arrest foreigners with outstanding traffic fines

Malaysian police have warned they will soon arrest foreigners who have not paid up their traffic fines, as the government takes a harder stance against those who have piled up a total of 838,510 summonses in the past 14 years, reported The Straits Times.

But drivers from Singapore, who contributed 37.4 percent of this total, need not fret just yet about entering Malaysia for the year-end holidays, as the authorities have to finalise details with government agencies on setting up an electronic system to spot the errant motorists.

Malaysian traffic summonses - which cost between RM150 (S$57) and RM300 (S$112) for speeding and parking offences - can be paid online or at Malaysian post offices and police stations. But many Singaporeans appear to have ignored them as there is little legal repercussion.

There are currently no checks on the records of vehicles entering Malaysia. Drivers who are stopped for new offences do not routinely have their records checked, which allows them to accumulate unsettled summonses and get away scot-free. Malaysia is working to set up a blacklist of repeat traffic offenders to block them from driving in.

It is also understood that the Malaysian police have received approval to install what is called Automated Number Plate Recognition equipment, which will help track foreign vehicles.