Lee: Programme to help secondary school students get motorcycle licence to start in Miri this month

MIRI (Jan 11): A pilot programme to help secondary school students get a motorcycle driving licence will be implemented here from this month.

In this regard, Sarawak Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin said the Sarawak Road Transport Department (JPJ) has approved 1,000 Class B2 driving licences for the implementation of the project under the MyLesen Driving Licence Assistance Programme (BLM).

According to him, the programme targets students from low-income families aged 16 years and above, and those who want to get a motorcycle driving licence with a subsidised payment of RM250.

“For Miri, this is the first time we are having this programme and this is also the first time this programme is focused on students only,” he said in a press conference after a meeting on the matter at JPJ Miri office today.

Lee hopes that the knowledge gained while attending the course will make students more cautious when riding their motorcycles on the road.

He added that the programme was initially planned to be implemented for six months, but will be continued as needed.

In view of this, Lee urged principals to provide the names of students who drive motorcycles to school without a licence and students who want to get a motorcycle licence, for the programme.

He said principals must submit particulars as prescribed in the form distributed, latest by January 31.

Those who are eligible include recipients of B40 assistance, e-Kasih and those certified to have disabilities (PwD) by medical officers and doctors, he added.

“This will be a pilot programme and after this, the Ministry of Transport wants it to be extended to other divisions which are also facing similar problems (students driving without licence),” he explained.

According to Lee, he has visited several secondary schools here to look into the problem of students going to school using motorcycles without a driver’s licence.

He said there was one school with about 100 students riding motorcycles to school but most of them did not have a driver’s licence and some were not even complying with traffic regulations or wearing helmets.

In view of that, Lee had a discussion on the matter with the JPJ Sarawak Director and had identified ways to overcome the problem.

He said under the Ministry of Transport Malaysia, the Class B2 driver’s licence assistance programme for motorcycles was set up especially for the needy, including the B40 group.

“I have applied to hold a pilot project in Miri, especially in the Senadin area, because that area is facing this big problem,” explained the Senadin assemblyman.

Commenting on the issue of “Mat Rempit” or illegal motorcycle racing, Lee said he had referred the problem to the Traffic Police and was informed that almost 90 per cent of them were school students aged 16 years and above.

From the course conducted through the assistance programme, Lee hopes the “Mat Rempit” problem among students can be reduced, as the programme will educate them on the importance of road safety.

“All students who ride motorbikes to school, they must have a licence, they must take a course and they must all understand the traffic rules, so that we can reduce accidents on the road.

“Those who don’t have a licence, they don’t know the traffic rules. That is a danger. I see it as a problem that needs attention as soon as possible,” he stressed.

He hopes that the programme will also be carried out in villages to help residents there obtain motorcycle driving licence.

​Also present at the press conference were JPJ Sarawak director Norizan Jili, JPJ Miri chief Fifi Suhesty Hasmuni, Miri Deputy Resident Juan Ubit, and Miri District assistant education officer for Pupil Development Sector Then Fen Nee.