PADANG BESAR: Some foreign vehicle owners, particularly those from Thailand, have been found disregarding Malaysia's laws by failing to settle outstanding traffic summonses.
Padang Besar deputy district police chief Superintendent Sarih Salleh said during a recent operation, police found vehicles from the neighbouring country that had up to 14 outstanding traffic summonses.
"We have identified vehicle owners from Thailand who have accumulated up to 14 traffic summonses for various road offences, which indicates a disregard for our country's traffic laws.
"Malaysia is not a place to accumulate unpaid traffic summonses. All foreign vehicle owners, including private cars, tourist vans, goods pick-up trucks, and motorcycles, must settle their outstanding summonses before leaving the country.
"Failure to do so may result in action being taken, including barring them from returning to their home country until the summonses are fully settled," he told reporters during an operation to detect outstanding traffic summonses among foreign drivers at the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security (ICQS) Complex in Padang Besar yesterday.
The operation, which began on Dec 11, was aimed at ensuring strict compliance among foreign nationals at the Padang Besar ICQS Complex.
Sarih added that a total of 704 summonses had been issued to foreign nationals by the Padang Besar district police since early this year up to yesterday.
"Of that total, 308 summonses remain unpaid, amounting to RM36,790, while 269 summonses have been settled, with a total collection of RM172,920.
"During the operation, 693 vehicles from Thailand were inspected, and 121 vehicles were found to have a total of 144 summonses for various offences, such as driving without a licence, expired road tax and insurance, obstructing traffic, failing to wear seat belts or helmets, carrying hazardous loads, and disobeying traffic signs," he said.
He said over the three-day operation, RM19,480 was collected from outstanding payments by foreign nationals.