New Law Sees 2 Years Jail And RM10,000 Fine For Obstructing Police Convoy

Parliament just passed several new laws and amendments surrounding the subject of police convoy and motorcade escort duties.

Earlier today, fellow industry colleagues over at PaulTan.org reported that the Malaysian parliament just passed several amendments to the Police Act of 1967 (Act 344). Amongst them are new laws that punishes motorists for obstructing police escorting a convoy.

For context, this offence wasn’t actually an offence prior – it was in a relatively grey area, per se. In fact, there was no law specifically written that required motorists to yield and give way to a VIP convoy on the roads. That’s not the case anymore it seems.

Firstly, the amended laws now clarify that only PDRM officers can perform motorcade or convoy escort duties, like the ones pictured above.

Now, with the revised Section 21 of the Police Act of 1967 (Act 344) mentioned, things are made much clearer. Firstly, it states that any convoy escort duties can only be performed by officers of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).

Secondly, a subsection of the same act now states that motorists or persons who obstructs, opposes or disobeys any reasonable direction given by any police officer in the performance of his duties under this section shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction.

Secondly, the revised law also sees stiffer punishments for motorists obstructing, opposing, or disobeying instructions of officers performing convoy or motorcade escort duties.

Further amendments see stiffer punishments for offenders caught under this act, which now entails with jail time of up to 2 years, as well as a fine amounting up to RM10,000. These are escalations from the mere two-month jail and RM200 fine punishments under this act prior.

In short, so as long as you see actual police officers in uniform with lights flashing and sirens blaring instructing you to give way for either a convoy or motorcade, then you really should yield and give way. If not, then you’ll have to face the new punishments we’ve just detailed.

You can read this new law in full for yourself in full by clicking these blue words. By the way, you can also get a better understanding of this duty from the perspective of those performing it through the YouTube video embedded below.