KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 – The Children’s Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam), Farah Nini Dusuki, has today expressed deep concern over recent fatal road accidents involving underage motorcyclists.

Farah highlighted two tragic incidents: a 12-year-old boy in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan caused the death of a 13-month-old toddler, and in another case, two 13-year-old boys lost their lives while performing stunts in Elmina, Selangor.

"The deaths of these children were not merely accidents or matters of fate; they could have been prevented if their parents and guardians had exercised proper vigilance,” said Farah in a statement here.

She noted that in the Kubang Kerian case, the road tax and insurance for the three-wheeled motorcycle had expired, while the Elmina accident occurred late at night as the teenagers were performing wheelies.

The commissioner pointed out that these incidents highlight the failure of parents or guardians to properly monitor their children’s activities, particularly at night.

Farah also called attention to existing laws, such as Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 and Section 39(5) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which hold parents accountable for neglect and for permitting underage driving.

She cited recent statistics from the Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department, which revealed an increase in road deaths and injuries among child motorcycle victims in 2023 compared to 2022.

The Ministry of Transport and Road Transport Department are reportedly drafting a new law concerning the purchase of motorcycles by unlicensed riders, and Farah urged for this draft law to be expedited.

She also said that in 2019, the police proposed a new motorcycle licence category, "B3”, to restrict young riders to low-powered vehicles, but the status of this proposal remains unclear.

Therefore, Farah called on the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research to provide a clear update on the study of this proposal.