Saturday, January 24, 2009

SATURDAY-24 JANUARY 2009 - DRIVING'S LICENCE: ORAL SET FOR ILLITERATE


Driver’s licence: Oral exam set for illiterate


KOTA KINABALU:

From March 1, this year, illiterate people will sit tor an oral exam to obtain their driver’s licence.

At the moment, the Road Transport Department (RTD) requires them to sit for the computerized examination system.

RTD Director General Datuk Solah Mat Hassan said the change is to enable the illiterate to obtain their driving licence.

“After much consideration, we have decided to change the computerized examination system (part one) into oral examination for illiterate people, to make it easier for them to get their driving licence,” he said.

Solah disclosed this at a press conference in conjunction with the Accounts and Financial Committee Meeting at Hyatt Regency Kinabalu Hotel here yesterday.

With the new system, he said there are certain criteria for those wishing to take the oral examination, namely the applicant must be of Malaysian citizen and have the approval from their school principal, village chief,
representative or Government officers.

“Candidates who are allowed to sit for the oral examination (part one) are also required to undergo a driving test for five hours at a driving institute first,” he said, adding that test would be conducted every first and third week of the month.

The number of candidates for the oral examination is restricted to only 50 people, while the location for the
driving test will be decided by State RTD Directors, he said.

Meanwhile, Solah said RTD is committed to its service delivery to fulfill customers’ expectation.

He said the current RTD standard of procedure would also be revised to make it easier for customers.

“The four main services (core business) are enforcement division, vehicle licensing, driver’s licence and automotive engineering,” he said.

For copies of car registration, Solah said all documents such as police report on lost vehicle, owner’s vehicle registration, reports on vehicle inspectiQ from Puspakom and approval letter from applicant would be cancelled starting January 1 this year.

“All applications can be handed in by either the owner or through their representative,” he said, adding that the decision was made as RTD had received complaints and feedback from the public.

He said all copies of car registration that have been processed would only be handed to the car owner while applications handed in by representative, copies would be posted to the owners.

For copies of driver’s licence, either the owner or their representative can hand in and collect the document, he said.

“Last time, the rule was that only the owner could claim the licence,” he said, adding that the rule was amended on January 2 this year.

Meanwhile, Solah said RTD would send a notice of reminder to their customers prior to the expiry of their vehicle registration and driver’s licence.

“Starting from December 18, 2008, the department had sent out a total of 1,353,516 notices of reminder to vehicle owners that their vehicle registration and driver’s licence will be expired by February this year,” he said:


SATURDAY-24 JANUARY 2009 - MAN STABBED TO DEATH IN BEAUFORT



Man stabbed to death in Beaufort

BEAUFORT:

A local man was stabbed to death while drinking at a stall here yesterday.

District Police Chief DSP Mustaffa Maarof b. Mustaffa said the victim was identified as 29- year-old Azizul Japar.

“Police received a report around 3pm and rushed to the scene,” he said, adding the body was sent to the district hospital for postmortem.

Mustaffa said Police were investigating the murder and yet to make any arrest.