SHAH ALAM - The installation of dashboard cameras (dashcams) is encouraged, but there have been no plans to make it mandatory.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke said that the ministry had received several suggestions regarding the installation of dashcams but it had to consider various aspects including the cost that the people would have to incur if it was made mandatory.
"However, we encourage the installation of dashcams, particularly in vehicles from manufacturers.
"If they (vehicle manufacturers) can install them (dashcams) in their new cars, we will strongly encourage it, but so far, we have not made it mandatory,” Loke said, as quoted by Bernama.
Loke also urged bus operators to install dashcams to provide evidence in the event of road accidents.
"Dashcams can be used as proof of who is at fault and who should be responsible if there is an accident," he said during an engagement session with editors in Kuala Lumpur, today.
Previously, Sinar Daily reported reported that dashcams are no longer a convenience but a necessity especially when it comes to aiding the police with footage related to investigations.
In December last year, police analysed dashcam footages from cars parked near Idaman Apartment inn Damansara Damai, where six-year-old Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matiin’s body was found to collect lead in the murder investigation.
In another well-known case, a former Information Technology employee was found guilty by the High Court here on a charge of causing the death of Syed Muhammad Danial Syed Shakir in a road rage incident on the North-South Highway four years ago.
In this case, dashcam footage was crucial in providing justice for Syed Muhammad Danial, who was murdered by Yew Wei Liang in the road rage case.
Previously, Federal police Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department supported the use of dashcams in motor vehicles, citing its vital role in crash probes and court proceedings.
Making dashcams compulsory, however, was acknowledged as a potential challenge due to the financial constraints.
Last year, the police, under then Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani, sought public feedback on dashcams.
He had said that usage of dashcams in private vehicles would assist investigations into road crashes as well as public complaints on traffic safety and violations.
Former Transport Minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong had also raised the question of why not making dashcams mandatory, emphasising the advantages of dashcams in retrieving crucial information and serving as evidence, particularly in accident cases.
Meanwhile, Malaysia recorded a total of 600,000 road accidents with over 6,500 fatalities last year, which indicates 15 to 17 deaths per day.