{
  "id": 10413437,
  "title": "JPJ cracks down on foreign drivers, 481,119 summonses issued from 2024 to Sept 2026",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/jpj-cracks-down-on-foreign-drivers-481-119-summonses-issued-from-2024-10413437",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-28T09:16:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2026/09/28/jpj-cracks-down-on-foreign-drivers-481119-summonses-issued-from-2024-to-sept-2026/236896"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "From September 2024 to September 2026, the Road Transport Department (JPJ) issued a staggering 481,119 summonses to foreign drivers through a special operation named 'Ops Khas Pemandu Warga Asing' (PeWA). According to senior enforcement director Datuk Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan, the most common offenses were failing to possess a valid driving licence, having an expired motor vehicle licence, and lacking insurance coverage. In 2024, 183,300 summonses were given, followed by 191,676 in 2025 and 106,143 for the first nine months of this year.\n\nHassan pointed out that foreign drivers' hiring by local employers, without verifying their credentials and valid documents, is another aspect of the issue. Employers involved in this practice can be considered as colluding against the country. He urged the public to be aware and responsible for not hiring unqualified foreign workers.\n\nIn the past three months, JPJ has become stricter in enforcing the laws against foreign drivers and commercial vehicle owners, taking legal action without offering settlement through compound payments in certain cases. Foreigners are not allowed to apply for specific vocational licences, so employers must ensure that lorry or bus drivers meet all the required qualifications.\n\nAs a result of the operation, JPJ has seized three buses and 147 lorries, three thousand six hundred and eleven motorcycles (with 2,052 seized), and 1,301 cars (including 456 seized) since 2024. The operation has also targeted Myanmar refugees who have been renting motorcycles at varying monthly rates and turning them into tricycles to collect used goods and recyclables.\n\nMuhammad Kifli clarified that JPJ has reported the viral claim of Myanmar refugees being allowed to obtain driving licences to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. The department will further intensify 'Ops Pewa' nationwide and encourage the public to provide relevant information to help combat the offense.",
  "summary": "KOTA BHARU, Sept 28 — A total of 481,119 summonses were issued by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) against fore...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Malay Mail",
        "title": "JPJ cracks down on foreign drivers, 481,119 summonses issued from 2024 to Sept 2026",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/28/jpj-cracks-down-on-foreign-drivers-481-119-summonses-issued-from-2024",
        "published": "2026-09-28T09:16:55.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}