KUALA LUMPUR: The Road Transport Department (JPJ) will prosecute cases of extreme motorcycle modification in court under Section 42 of the Road Transport Act (APJ) 1987 following the increasing trend.
Senior Director of RTD Enforcement, Datuk Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan said that so far three investigation papers have been opened under the provision and have received permission to prosecute from the Deputy Public Prosecutor for further action.
He said the move was a new approach by JPJ which previously focused more on enforcement actions such as summonses and confiscation.
“We have detected motorcyclists riding dangerously and recklessly… the most distressing and most dangerous thing is that these motorcyclists continue to remove or discard the rear brake. So imagine the motorcycle moving without brakes.”
“Any motorcycle that has extreme modifications, we will confiscate and we will charge the motorcyclist involved,” he said at the Ops Motosikal (Extreme) press conference at the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Road Transport Authority, here, on Wednesday.
Muhammad Kifli said more than 300 extremely modified motorcycles have been seized since the beginning of this year, with Kuala Lumpur recording the highest number of seizures.
He said that among the modifications that are often detected include the use of squid tires, unauthorized engine changes, the installation of long swing arms (structural components), modifications or deletion of the electronic control unit (ECU) system and the removal of the rear brake.
“JPJ views seriously the trend of extreme motorcycle modifications that do not follow set specifications as they can affect the vehicle’s original safety features and increase the risk of road accidents.”
“Most of the people involved are youths aged between 18 and 30, but there are also cases involving school students as young as 12 years old,” he said.
In an effort to strengthen operations, he said, the special Team Falcon team carries out enforcement every week to detect motorcycles that have been modified in an extreme manner as well as riders who commit offences under Section 42 of the APJ 1987.
Based on the JPJ database, he said, a total of 848,885 JPJ(P)22 notices were issued to motorcyclists for various offences in 2024, followed by 711,722 notices in 2025 and 252,118 notices as of May this year.
Muhammad Kifli said that from 2021 to this year, a total of 38,959 motorcycles were seized under Section 64(1) of the Motor Vehicles Act 1987 for violating the provisions of the law.
Commenting on the action against motorcycle owners, he said that summonses will be issued not only to the rider but also to the registered owner, including parents, if the vehicle is registered in their name.
Regarding possible action against workshops that illegally modify motorcycles, he said, JPJ is examining the legal aspects and will conduct further studies before making any announcement.
He said JPJ will also collaborate with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living, the Royal Malaysian Customs Department and local authorities to ensure that the components used comply with the regulations.
— BERNAMA