MIRI: Assistant Minister of Local Government Datu Dr Penguang Manggil slammed the Ministry of Transport for unilaterally deciding to scrap the One Community, One JPJ programme with the excuse that it failed to take into account the diverse state and its rural population who need it to legally obtain Class B2 motorcycle licence.

The Marudi state assemblyman said this is a big blow to Sarawak where a big chunk of its population is still living in the rural areas and where the Road Transport Department (JPJ) facilities are non-existent.

“This decision is a total disregard to, and insensitive to the hardship of the people in Sarawak,” he said, adding that such a one-size-fits-all decision puts the Sarawakians at a disadvantage.

“This smacks of lack of understanding of local conditions and peculiarities of the rural population and their needs in Sarawak or neighbouring Sabah.

“I am appealing to the Transport Minister (Anthony Loke Siew Fook) to revisit his decision and consider the prevailing circumstances in Sarawak,” he said.

Loke yesterday announced tha the Transport Ministry has decided to scrap the One Community One JPJ Programme (SKSJ) aimed at helping those in rural areas possess the B2 Probationary Driving Licence.

The programme allowed participants to obtain a B2 (motorcycle) licence without undergoing stringent tests and meant to help the underprivileged, especially those from the rural community, to obtain a B2 licence at a cheaper rate and without having to go to a driving school.

A JPJ team would travel to the designated locations to provide a week’s course in the villages and get their licence after that a road test, saving cost and time for these target groups under this programme which started in 2009.

Meanwhile, Miri-PKR MP Dr Micheal Teo Yu Keng said road safety was the core issue in this decision as accidents incur loss of property, income or even life.

Pic: Dr Penguang giving the thumbs down to the decision to scrap the rural motorcycle driving licence drive under One Community, One JPP programme