Saman Ekor or police summons issued from speed traps should be abolished! It is unjust and is against the universal rule of natural justice. The motorists and owners of motor vehicles caught by speed traps and those who received Notification of Traffic Offences by way of Polis 170A who failed to pay their summons found themselves blacklisted by the authorities. They could not renew or pay road tax of their vehicles. This policy of the Barisan Nasional government against motorists and owners of motor vehicles are more draconian than action taken against citizens under the Anti-Terrorism and Internal Security laws. Such treatment of citizens are worst than treatment given to communists when communists were around in the country. At least, some communists caught with firearms were brought to trial, but, here there is no trial, but, direct sentencing by blacklisting these motorists and motor vehicle owners from renewing their road tax without a hearing from the court.
To add salt to the pain, citizens also received summons from the police for alleged traffic offences caught by speed traps which happened some ten years ago! One of the saman ekor referred to me was a 1999 summons! How can a motorist remember what happened some ten years ago! The policeman who issued him the summons could have died now! The government should put a stop to this. These motorists in such circumstances were forced to pay their summonses as most of them did not want to go to court.
To add salt to the pain, citizens also received summons from the police for alleged traffic offences caught by speed traps which happened some ten years ago! One of the saman ekor referred to me was a 1999 summons! How can a motorist remember what happened some ten years ago! The policeman who issued him the summons could have died now! The government should put a stop to this. These motorists in such circumstances were forced to pay their summonses as most of them did not want to go to court.
The fine is also very heavy, may be, with interest as they were paid more than RM100.00 – RM300.00 for each offence for such summons. I still remember, ten years ago, motorists were made to pay RM5.00 and the most RM30.00 only. Sometimes, the Ketua Polis Daerah would just cancel the saman ekor. People had become fed-up with this government. They had become more rebellious and hostile towards this government.
The government should put a time limit to these saman ekor. If the alleged offenders could not be traced, say, within oneyear, these saman ekor and also Notification of Offences under Pol.170A should automatically lapse. Most, important all alleged offenders should not be blacklisted as what currently happened now.
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