Black mark for new tint ruling
By Aaron Denison Deivasagayam - May 14, 2019 @ 10:15pm
IT is safe to say that the new ruling on tinted window marks the first blip of the Transport Ministry under the Pakatan Harapan government.

The regulation, announced last week, allows motorists to tint rear windshields and passenger windows as dark as they want.

However, front windshields, as well as the ones at the driver’s and front passenger’s sides, should be transparent, allowing visible light transmission of 70 per cent and 50 per cent for safety reasons.

Why not apply the ruling for rear windshields and allow darker tints?

The new ruling increases the possibility of crimes, especially kidnapping and smuggling of dangerous goods such as drugs and weapons. Furthermore, there will be an increase in car thefts.

A 100-per cent tinted windshields would prevent the rescue of passengers during accidents as dark windshields are difficult to break into.

Darker windshields will also compromise the safety of policemen. Passengers in the back seat may have firearms and use them against policemen during road blocks.

There was a recent case where a rented MPV almost rammed a policeman who had stopped it.

The MPV was tinted black and the policemen could not see the number of suspects in it.

The new ruling also showed miscommunication between the ministry and the police.

It seemed that the decision was made by the ministry without consulting the police.

This is because Bukit Aman Department of Investigation and Traffic Enforcement director Deputy Commissioner Datuk Azisman Alias said he felt slighted that the matter was not discussed with them.

Although the ministry said it took into consideration the views of the police, it seemed as though the concerns of the police were not taken seriously, especially with regard to safety.

The ministry and the police must discuss the issue again before finalising the regulation as there are risks involved in allowing darker tinted rear windshields.

The fact that private cars and cars used for e-hailing services could be rented out to third parties poses more risks.

While the ministry is looking at options to generate income through this initiative, the safety of the public and law enforcement should not be compromised.

Better communication between the ministry and the police should be practised.

Aaron Denison Deivasagayam

Research officer, Universiti Malaya
Source: New Straits Times