Viral Reckless Driving Incident Puts JPJ Under Spotlight

The Road Transport Department (JPJ) has taken swift action against its own officers after a viral video showed them overtaking a lorry on a double line in Simpang Pulai, Perak.

JPJ director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli confirmed the officer has been issued with traffic summonses for the offence and barred from driving any departmental vehicles. The officer has also been suspended from duty and reassigned to a non-operational role at JPJ headquarters while an internal investigation is underway.

“JPJ is conducting a further probe into possible additional violations by the officer for appropriate follow-up action. We will not compromise when it comes to road safety, even if it involves our own personnel,” Aedy said in a statement recently.

He also encouraged the public to report traffic violations in real-time via the e-aduan@jpj feature in the MyJPJ app or by emailing aduantrafik@jpj.gov.my with complete details.

The 12-second clip, which made rounds on social media, showed the JPJ vehicle overtaking dangerously on a double line at a blind corner, putting other road users at risk.

However, despite the department's disciplinary move, public reaction on JPJ’s official Facebook post has been less forgiving.

Several users questioned why the officer was only fined for crossing a double line and not for endangering other road users suggesting two summonses should have been issued.

Others said a ban on driving only departmental vehicles was insufficient, arguing that the officer should be temporarily barred from holding a Class D licence altogether.

There were also strong views against allowing the officer to continue taking on office duties, with many pointing out how lorry and bus drivers often have their licences suspended impacting their livelihood while public officers merely get reassigned indoors.

“Are rules and regulations applicable only for the public?" one commenter asked. "We, the public, want proof of action taken, not just articles and written statements,” said another.

The comment reflects a deeper frustration: a call for accountability and transparency. Without concrete proof that the punishment was actually enforced, many feel that trust in the system cannot be rebuilt as the public is left to take the department's word for it.