KUALA LUMPUR – Drunk and drug-impaired drivers who kill or injure road users could soon see their assets seized and face extended prison terms if they fail to pay court-ordered compensation to victims and their families.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke revealed that the government is actively formulating tough new enforcement mechanisms to give real legal teeth to upcoming amendments under the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333).
The move aims to eliminate a major legal loophole where offenders escape financial accountability by claiming they cannot afford to pay.
“Under existing provisions in other laws, if an offender is unable to pay compensation, a heavier fine or an additional prison sentence may be imposed,” Loke said during the Dewan Rakyat question-and-answer session today.
“We are also looking into whether the offender’s assets can be seized to ensure that compensation is actually paid to the next of kin,” Loke added.
The minister was addressing a supplementary question from Datuk Ahmad Saad @ Yahaya (PN-Pokok Sena), who pressed for concrete protections for crash victims’ families when convicted drivers lack the financial means to satisfy compensation orders.
Loke confirmed that the Transport Ministry plans to table the amendments to Act 333 in Parliament early next year to officially establish a legal framework for awarding victim compensation in fatal crashes.
Signaling a broader crackdown on reckless road behavior, Loke also announced an upcoming overhaul of the nation’s driver demerit points system.
He criticized the existing framework as fundamentally ineffective, pointing out that demerit points are currently deducted only after offenders settle their traffic summonses—a systemic flaw that hollows out its intended deterrent power. – October 15, 2026