Rude driving in Malaysia
Discussion
This view of bad driving from t'other side of the globe tickled me somewhat.......
Barbarians at the wheel
Why do nice Malaysians turn into rude monsters the moment they switch on the ignition? PHILIP GOLINGAI made two illegal U-turns, weaved in and out of traffic many times and almost crushed a pedestrian into road kill to ask a traffic cop.
CUTTING queues. Remaining in yellow boxes. Indiscriminate parking. Driving on the emergency lane. Tailgating. Sending SMS-es while driving. Beating traffic lights. Road hogging. Honking unnecessarily.
Speeding. Weaving in and out of traffic. Making illegal U-turns.
You have seen examples of these inconsiderate and rude driving habits on Malaysian roads. Most of us have probably been guilty of one or more, or even all of the above, when behind the wheel.
Many Malaysians – especially those who claim to be innocent of inconsiderate and rude driving – get as animated as any road bully when relating their encounters with other drivers whose dictionaries do not contain the word ‘‘courteous’’.
The driver of this Mitsubishi Pajero has no qualms about jumping the queue waiting patiently for the green light to turn right.
“Drivers from hell”, “King of the road” and “Horrible! Horrible! Horrible!” are just some of the comments from those asked what they think of their fellow Malaysian drivers.
So it should come as no surprise that, in the The Star’s recent “The Rude Malaysian” contest, Number One on the list of our compatriots' rudest habits is driving inconsiderately.
When it comes to inconsiderate driving, 49-year-old taxi driver Liew Kaw Hooi has seen it all. After earning a living as a taxi driver for 15 years, having to deal with rudeness on the road is all in a day’s work.
‘‘The majority of the motorists I have encountered on the road do not have good behaviour. These kind of drivers are selfish – they only think of themselves,’’ says the cabby who is on the road for about 12 hours a day. ‘‘For example, they don’t slow down when pedestrians are crossing the road. They keep horning at you even before the traffic light turns to green. Lorry drivers will suddenly cut into your lane.’’
For 19-year-old student, Ong Sin Ning, who has been driving for one year, the typical Malaysian driver can be aptly described with a joke. It goes like this. In Malaysia, when the (traffic) light is red, you go. When it’s yellow, you go faster. When it’s green, you stop because there will be cars moving fast.
The University Melbourne student finds the Malaysian road to be a dog-eat-dog environment.
Tunku Datu Mudzaffar blames parents for the younger generation of rude drivers.
‘‘To survive out there, you have to be inconsiderate as well. You have to be slightly aggressive. If not, everyone will overtake you and it will take you longer to get home,’’ she rationalises. “Everybody does it so, naturally, you do it as well because you become frustrated with the rude driving.”
The if-you-can’t-beat-them-join-them attitude is what makes Malaysian drivers inconsiderate, observes C.T. Balan, general manager of Safety Driving Centre.
“Whatever courteous driving behaviour the newly licensed drivers have picked up during the driving course does not last long because, once they are out on the road, they merge with offensive drivers, they too become offensive drivers,” says the driving instructor, drawing on his 30 years’ experience.
“Their attitude is, if the other driver does not give way, why should I?”
But the rude Malaysian can transform, instantly and miraculously, into a courteous driver. All it takes is the presence of a policeman.
“When we are around, motorists tend to obey the law,” says Kuala Lumpur traffic chief Assistant Commissioner Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah, “but, without our presence, motorists blatantly disregard the traffic laws.”
Balan adds: “When there is a policeman at the traffic lights, the motorists are very disciplined but, the minute the policeman is not seen, the drivers will jump the red lights.’’
However, there are drivers who jump the light, regardless whether there is police presence.
“These people think that, when they get a traffic ticket, they can settle the problem easily,” says Balan.
Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM) chairman Tunku Datuk Mudzaffar Tunku Mustapha agrees.
Asst Comm Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah...when we are around, motorists tend to obey the law.
“Don’t bribe the police when you commit a traffic offence. That is one of the causes for enforcement not being enforced,” he explains. “Because they have no fear of enforcement, they go on their merry way, behaving rudely on the road.”
“If you commit an offence and you know that the police are corrupted, you will disregard the law,” says Kuala Lumpur traffic chief Tun Hisan.
That is why, since becoming the city’s traffic chief six months ago, his department has arrested eight motorists for trying to bribe police officers.
“We are doing this because we want the public to have a good perception of the police force. We don’t want them to have in their mind that the moment a policeman stops them, they think he is trying to solicit money,” he explains.
Traffic jam. Congested roads. These are some of the other reasons (or excuses) given for bad road manners.
Malaysian drivers can be courteous but traffic jams drive them to insanity, Ong says. “Getting caught in a snarling traffic jam for two hours under the hot sun when it should be a 30-minute drive can make you impatient.”
Impatience makes drivers rude, notes Liew. “Heavy traffic makes a person’s mood change like the weather – from a nice breeze to a thunderstorm,” he says.
The Kuala Lumpur traffic chief echoes the taxi driver’s view, saying, “when there is a traffic jam, people lose their patience and that is when rude driving behaviour comes in.”
Although traffic jams can contribute to impatience on the road, Balan says it should not be used as an excuse for rude behaviour. They are impatient because they did not plan their journey, he explains.
“If the journey takes 30 minutes, they try to shortcut the trip to 20 minutes with inconsiderate driving. If it is a 30-minute journey and they allot 45 minutes to reach the destination, then they will have a beautiful driving experience.”
Ong Sing Nong often prefers to take a taxi beacuse of the dog-eat-dog world of the road.
“Just because you are in a hurry, you can’t break the traffic rules,” says Mudzaffar. “If you are late, it is your own fault – you started the journey late.
“If you know that it takes 30 minutes to reach your work place, you shouldn’t leave your house 15 minutes before you have to clock in and then drive like mad.”
That's a good point. That was what happened to me when I had a last-minute appointment to interview the Kuala Lumpur traffic chief for this story.
I was so stressed, rushing to meet him at his office in the stipulated 30 minutes, that I made two illegal U-turns, weaved in and out of traffic many times and almost crushed a pedestrian into road kill.
I was “forced” to be a rude driver because I did not want to be rude to Tun Hisan by being late.
Many Malaysians probably offer up variations of this flawed rationale when they try to defend their inconsiderate driving.
“There is value decay in Malaysia because we are not ashamed that we drive inconsiderately,” says Tun Hisan. “Even if parents have their children in the car with them, they still disregard the law. They are subconsciously teaching their children that driving inconsiderately is okay.
“Some of them even ask their children ‘Ada polis, kah?’ (Are there any police around?) and if the answer is ‘no’, they will try to beat the traffic lights,” he says.
Mudzaffar also blames parents for the younger generation of rude drivers on the roads.
“If you have a rude driving attitude, that is what your parents taught you when you were young. The children watch how their father loses his temper, and swears and honks unnecessarily when driving,’’ he explains. “And, they behave the same way when they grow up.”
Barbarians at the wheel
Why do nice Malaysians turn into rude monsters the moment they switch on the ignition? PHILIP GOLINGAI made two illegal U-turns, weaved in and out of traffic many times and almost crushed a pedestrian into road kill to ask a traffic cop.
CUTTING queues. Remaining in yellow boxes. Indiscriminate parking. Driving on the emergency lane. Tailgating. Sending SMS-es while driving. Beating traffic lights. Road hogging. Honking unnecessarily.
Speeding. Weaving in and out of traffic. Making illegal U-turns. You have seen examples of these inconsiderate and rude driving habits on Malaysian roads. Most of us have probably been guilty of one or more, or even all of the above, when behind the wheel.
Many Malaysians – especially those who claim to be innocent of inconsiderate and rude driving – get as animated as any road bully when relating their encounters with other drivers whose dictionaries do not contain the word ‘‘courteous’’.
The driver of this Mitsubishi Pajero has no qualms about jumping the queue waiting patiently for the green light to turn right.
“Drivers from hell”, “King of the road” and “Horrible! Horrible! Horrible!” are just some of the comments from those asked what they think of their fellow Malaysian drivers.
So it should come as no surprise that, in the The Star’s recent “The Rude Malaysian” contest, Number One on the list of our compatriots' rudest habits is driving inconsiderately.
When it comes to inconsiderate driving, 49-year-old taxi driver Liew Kaw Hooi has seen it all. After earning a living as a taxi driver for 15 years, having to deal with rudeness on the road is all in a day’s work.
‘‘The majority of the motorists I have encountered on the road do not have good behaviour. These kind of drivers are selfish – they only think of themselves,’’ says the cabby who is on the road for about 12 hours a day. ‘‘For example, they don’t slow down when pedestrians are crossing the road. They keep horning at you even before the traffic light turns to green. Lorry drivers will suddenly cut into your lane.’’
For 19-year-old student, Ong Sin Ning, who has been driving for one year, the typical Malaysian driver can be aptly described with a joke. It goes like this. In Malaysia, when the (traffic) light is red, you go. When it’s yellow, you go faster. When it’s green, you stop because there will be cars moving fast.
The University Melbourne student finds the Malaysian road to be a dog-eat-dog environment.
Tunku Datu Mudzaffar blames parents for the younger generation of rude drivers.
‘‘To survive out there, you have to be inconsiderate as well. You have to be slightly aggressive. If not, everyone will overtake you and it will take you longer to get home,’’ she rationalises. “Everybody does it so, naturally, you do it as well because you become frustrated with the rude driving.”
The if-you-can’t-beat-them-join-them attitude is what makes Malaysian drivers inconsiderate, observes C.T. Balan, general manager of Safety Driving Centre.
“Whatever courteous driving behaviour the newly licensed drivers have picked up during the driving course does not last long because, once they are out on the road, they merge with offensive drivers, they too become offensive drivers,” says the driving instructor, drawing on his 30 years’ experience.
“Their attitude is, if the other driver does not give way, why should I?”
But the rude Malaysian can transform, instantly and miraculously, into a courteous driver. All it takes is the presence of a policeman.
“When we are around, motorists tend to obey the law,” says Kuala Lumpur traffic chief Assistant Commissioner Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah, “but, without our presence, motorists blatantly disregard the traffic laws.”
Balan adds: “When there is a policeman at the traffic lights, the motorists are very disciplined but, the minute the policeman is not seen, the drivers will jump the red lights.’’
However, there are drivers who jump the light, regardless whether there is police presence.
“These people think that, when they get a traffic ticket, they can settle the problem easily,” says Balan.
Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM) chairman Tunku Datuk Mudzaffar Tunku Mustapha agrees.
Asst Comm Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah...when we are around, motorists tend to obey the law.
“Don’t bribe the police when you commit a traffic offence. That is one of the causes for enforcement not being enforced,” he explains. “Because they have no fear of enforcement, they go on their merry way, behaving rudely on the road.”
“If you commit an offence and you know that the police are corrupted, you will disregard the law,” says Kuala Lumpur traffic chief Tun Hisan.
That is why, since becoming the city’s traffic chief six months ago, his department has arrested eight motorists for trying to bribe police officers.
“We are doing this because we want the public to have a good perception of the police force. We don’t want them to have in their mind that the moment a policeman stops them, they think he is trying to solicit money,” he explains.
Traffic jam. Congested roads. These are some of the other reasons (or excuses) given for bad road manners.
Malaysian drivers can be courteous but traffic jams drive them to insanity, Ong says. “Getting caught in a snarling traffic jam for two hours under the hot sun when it should be a 30-minute drive can make you impatient.”
Impatience makes drivers rude, notes Liew. “Heavy traffic makes a person’s mood change like the weather – from a nice breeze to a thunderstorm,” he says.
The Kuala Lumpur traffic chief echoes the taxi driver’s view, saying, “when there is a traffic jam, people lose their patience and that is when rude driving behaviour comes in.”
Although traffic jams can contribute to impatience on the road, Balan says it should not be used as an excuse for rude behaviour. They are impatient because they did not plan their journey, he explains.
“If the journey takes 30 minutes, they try to shortcut the trip to 20 minutes with inconsiderate driving. If it is a 30-minute journey and they allot 45 minutes to reach the destination, then they will have a beautiful driving experience.”
Ong Sing Nong often prefers to take a taxi beacuse of the dog-eat-dog world of the road.
“Just because you are in a hurry, you can’t break the traffic rules,” says Mudzaffar. “If you are late, it is your own fault – you started the journey late.
“If you know that it takes 30 minutes to reach your work place, you shouldn’t leave your house 15 minutes before you have to clock in and then drive like mad.”
That's a good point. That was what happened to me when I had a last-minute appointment to interview the Kuala Lumpur traffic chief for this story.
I was so stressed, rushing to meet him at his office in the stipulated 30 minutes, that I made two illegal U-turns, weaved in and out of traffic many times and almost crushed a pedestrian into road kill.
I was “forced” to be a rude driver because I did not want to be rude to Tun Hisan by being late.
Many Malaysians probably offer up variations of this flawed rationale when they try to defend their inconsiderate driving.
“There is value decay in Malaysia because we are not ashamed that we drive inconsiderately,” says Tun Hisan. “Even if parents have their children in the car with them, they still disregard the law. They are subconsciously teaching their children that driving inconsiderately is okay.
“Some of them even ask their children ‘Ada polis, kah?’ (Are there any police around?) and if the answer is ‘no’, they will try to beat the traffic lights,” he says.
Mudzaffar also blames parents for the younger generation of rude drivers on the roads.
“If you have a rude driving attitude, that is what your parents taught you when you were young. The children watch how their father loses his temper, and swears and honks unnecessarily when driving,’’ he explains. “And, they behave the same way when they grow up.”
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