KUALA LUMPUR: Traffic offenders can soon plead guilty to their offences virtually, via the e-PG (electronic plead guilty) system.
According to a statement from the Federal Court registrar's office today, the pilot project will run from Feb 2 to Feb 5 for cases registered at the Shah Alam Magistrate's Court 3.
Following the pilot project, it is hoped that the system will be expanded throughout Peninsular Malaysia by April 1, and in Sabah and Sarawak by June, this year.
The e-PG, it said, is a platform in the courts application system which is used for guilty pleas to be made online as an alternative to the current proceedings which require the person being summoned or the OKS to appear in court physically.
"The Covid-19 pandemic that took hold of the country and the world now requires society to practice physical distancing and avoid crowded places.
"The e-PG system would be able to reduce the need of traffic offenders to physically come to court and this would save time, money and ensure safety and health.
"The judiciary hopes that the initiative on the digitalisation of technology, such as the e-PG, would further strengthen the administration of justice and provide access to justice to all parties," the statement said.
The court had listed 43 traffic offences that allow guilty pleas to be made online via e-PG.
They include offences related to driving licence, vehicle licence plate, traffic light violation, and pedestrian walk violation, among others.
However, it said, the e-PG system does not apply to summons for speeding offences, which still require offenders to be present at court.
The public or traffic offenders who have cases registered at the Shah Alam Magistrate's Court can go to the e-PG system at https://ecourt.kehakiman.gov.my from Feb 2.
A flow chart of how the system works is also available on the website.
In her New Year message, this year, Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat highlighted the judiciary's significant efforts in expanding its virtual operations to ensure the administration of justice does not ground to a halt.
Through the different phases of the Movement Control Order (MCO) and the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO), Tengku Maimun said the judiciary had remained steadfast in providing access to justice.
This, she said, had led the judiciary to conduct proceedings through remote communication technology, better known as online hearings, and at first, the online hearings in civil cases were limited by consent of parties.
For 2021, she said, the judiciary plans, among others, to digitalise the taking of guilty pleas in traffic cases and to allow payment of fines electronically.