Motorcycle owner receives postal traffic summon, when the offending vehicle is a four-wheel drive

A farmer from Bau, Yong Ted Kong, has lodged a report with the police at the One Stop Centre in Simpang Tiga here today, complaining that he has been issued with a postal traffic summon: all because someone had misused his motorcycle plate number on a four-wheel drive.

The 4D vehicle was parked within a yellow line along Datuk Edward Jeli Road in Miri between 2pm and 3pm on Feb 11, 2010 .

The 4D vehicle was booked by the police, and as a result, Yong received the postal traffic summon from Bukit Aman traffic department.

Both the motorcycle and 4D vehicle bore the same KQ8772Q plate number.

The postal summon stated that Yong had parked his 4D vehicle along the yellow line and must settle the fine first before he could renew his road tax or driving licence.

Yong said the vehicle was not his nor he had any 4D vehicle in his possession.

"I am a poor farmer, so how could I afford to have one," he said.

He owned the motorcycle, but then it was already condemned in 2004. He said he had already dismantled the motorcycle.

"I have never brought my motorcycle to Miri before it was condemned as a scrap metal in 2004. How could the police issue me with the summon when the offending vehicle was a 4D vehicle," he told reporters at the Simpang police station.

Yong showed to reporters the "Green" Card of the motorcycle with the KQ8772Q plate number.

"So, you can see that this card belongs to the motorcycle, not the 4D vehicle," he stressed.

Padungan State Assemblyman Wong King Wei, who accompanied Yong in lodging the report, said two things could have happened that resulted in Yong getting the postal summon - either a policeman, who booked the 4D vehicle for parking along the yellow line, had misused his position or that a syndicate was involved in misusing the motorcycle plate number.

Wong said he received between three and five complaints each week from vehicle owners that they had been issued with the postal traffic summons for traffic offences allegedly committed at places they had never been to or brought their vehicles to such towns on certain days and times.

He said Yong's case was one such example.

Wong wanted the police to conduct an investigation into such cases.

"In fact, I have written to Bukit Aman traffic department to cancel the postal traffic summons issued to the vehicle owners if they can justify and provide proof that their vehicles have never been driven to places where the alleged traffic offences were said to have been committed.

"But sad to say, the police did not respond to my lettes," he said.