KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 — Singaporean drivers make up the bulk of foreign offenders with unpaid outstanding traffic summonses, owing the Malaysian authorities an estimated total of RM3.5 million.

Since 1990 up until June this year, nearly 41 million outstanding traffic summonses, with an estimated value of RM4 billion, have remained unpaid.

Of these, 51,128 summonses, amounting to approximately RM5.1 million, involve foreign nationals from neighbouring countries, namely Singapore, Brunei, and Thailand.

Malay daily Utusan Malaysia in its report today quoted Bukit Aman’s Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT) director Datuk Seri Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri as saying that notices would be issued to traffic offenders to inform them of their outstanding fines.

The unpaid fines involve six major offences: running a red light, driving in the emergency lane, overtaking on a double line, using a communication device or phone while driving, queue-cutting, and speeding.

Road users could be blacklisted by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) if they fail to settle their fines, he was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia.

"Since 1990 until June this year, a total of 40,962,240 summonses, with an estimated value of RM4 billion, have not been settled.

"So, please pay promptly before legal action is taken and you are blacklisted by JPJ.

"Nowadays, you don’t even need to go to a police station to pay your fines; you can pay cashless through MyBayar,” he was quoted as saying.

As for foreign traffic offenders, JSPT will intensify the Foreigners’ Outstanding Summons Operation (OSTWA) to track and take action against this group when they enter or leave the country.

When asked about discounts on outstanding fines to encourage payment, Mohd Yusri said that such offers are made selectively and at certain times.

"We don’t open (discount offers) arbitrarily, and it’s based on agency requests,” he explained.

"However, the public may not realise that within a month, they can automatically get a 50 per centdiscount, and this discount is indicated on the schedule at the back of the summons.

"Every year, we actively promote to encourage them to pay, and we do manage to collect quite a bit. The latest collection is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of ringgit,” he was quoted as saying.