Lifetime ban looms for drink-drivers
A lifetime driving ban and between three to five years in jail - that's the punishment the Malaysian government plans to introduce this year to punish drink-drivers.
Anyone caught with more than the current legal limit of 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood will automatically be banned under proposed changes the government will introduce to Parliament in its September session.
Existing penalties are lenient. First offenders are held overnight in a lock-up and fined a maximum of M$2,000 ($4,100). Repeat offenders can be fined up to M$4,000.
But under the proposed changes, first-time offenders will not be exempt from the ban.
'We need to take drastic measures to combat this menace,' said Othman Talib, head of the police's Internal Security and Public Order section.
He said between January and April, 403 drivers were charged for drink-driving compared to 645 for the whole of last year. But as many drivers bribe policemen during crackdowns, the extent of alcohol abuse is likely to be much higher.
