Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed says government cars may be exempted from speed limits when rushing between official functions. ― Picture by Saw Siow Feng

KUALA LUMPUR, March 24 — Government vehicles may be exempted from speed limits when rushing between official functions, according to Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed.

He said that there were “no hard and fast rules” on when such exemptions would apply, and that it was left to the discretion of the officials and the authorities involved.

“Government cars, if we have to rush for official business, we can inform the police,” he told reporters at the Dewan Rakyat lobby today.

“Government car on government business, we settle it internally, but with justification,” he added.

However, he stressed that even ministers are not exempt if caught speeding on a personal capacity, revealing that he had just paid a speeding fine of RM300.

“I'm not saying we can flout, what i am saying is that there are exception to the rules. Sometimes we have to hurry up to get to a function,” he said.

This comes after Rasah MP Teo Kok Seong said in Parliament today that ministers should set a good example on the road, instead of the government mulling an increase in traffic fines.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi had last week said that the government is planning to increase the maximum compounds of traffic summonses as these have not been reviewed since the Road Transport Act came into effect 29 years ago.