Malaysia to force drunk and drug-impaired drivers to pay victims' compensation

While presenting the 2027 Budget in the Dewan Rakyat, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government will revise the Road Transport Act to make compensation compulsory for victims of crashes caused by drunk or drug-impaired motorists. He cited a recent accident on the East Coast Expressway Phase 1 near Temerloh that claimed four lives, including a husband, wife and their young child, underscoring ongoing safety concerns despite tighter enforcement.

The amendment’s timing and the exact compensation mechanism were not disclosed. In addition, Anwar unveiled a separate road-safety measure that will require commercial vehicles to install telematics systems to track speed, location and risky driving, linking them to alcohol detection devices before trips begin; the requirement will stay voluntary until 2027 while a driver database is built. The Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) will also provide health-screening vouchers for commercial drivers to detect medical issues that could affect safe driving.