PDRM Requests Malaysians To Not Update Waze When There Are Roadblocks

Kuala Lumpur police have warned the public not to use the Waze navigation app to share information about police presence and roadblocks. Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Azmi Abu Kassim stated that drivers should be aware of the dangers they face as a result of drunk drivers, running red lights, driving against the flow of traffic, and so on. Drink driving has recently become a hot topic again in Malaysia, following a spate of fatal road accidents involving drivers suspected of driving while intoxicated with alcohol.

With the reduced prescribed alcohol limits and mandatory imprisonment for drink driving under Section 45A of the Road Transport Act 1987, the police have also increased the frequency of police patrols and road blocks to enforce the law. But, according to Datuk Azmi, sharing information about road blocks on the google-owned app will only impede enforcement efforts against drunk drivers and those who commit other traffic violations. "Those who have never been affected by the misfortune caused by the carelessness and negligence of traffic offenders, will not be able to feel the pain and suffering victims' families have to endure.

"And that is why it is my hope that the public, especially road users, will cooperate with the police instead of trying to help those who commit road offences," he said in his speech at the High Profile Policing programme at Wonderland Park, Taman Sri Murni last night. For the record, a total of 402,626 road accidents were recorded in Malaysia from January to September last year, resulting in 4,379 fatalities. This is a jump from the 255,532 road accidents from the same period in 2021, in which 3,324 deaths were recorded. Following the news, however, many Malaysians raised the issue of traffic congestion caused by police roadblocks on social media.

Some of them agree, but others believe that sharing information about police presence on Waze can help them avoid traffic jams caused by roadblocks. What are your thoughts on this?