New Road Transport Act Amendments to Criminalize Illegal Street Racing

Proposed Section 42A will allow authorities to prosecute illegal racing even if no accident occurs.

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The Malaysian government has tabled amendments to the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333) that will introduce tougher measures against illegal street racing, including a new offence specifically targeting “rempit” activities.

The proposed Road Transport (Amendment) Act 2026, recently tabled for its first reading in Parliament by Transport Minister Anthony Loke, aims to strengthen the regulatory and enforcement powers of the authorities through a series of legal amendments.

One of the key changes is Clause 15, which introduces a new Section 42A specifically designed to close existing legal loopholes related to illegal street racing and speed trials.

Under the current law, enforcement agencies can generally only take action under dangerous driving provisions, which require proof that an accident occurred or that the rider’s actions created actual danger. This has made prosecutions difficult in cases where illegal racing took place but did not result in a crash.

The proposed Section 42A changes that by making the act of participating in an illegal race or speed trial itself an offence, regardless of whether an accident occurs.

This means that two or more vehicles found racing competitively on public roads can now be prosecuted solely based on the act of racing, giving enforcement agencies a stronger legal basis to combat illegal street racing.

According to the amendment bill, anyone convicted of participating in an illegal race or speed trial involving two or more motor vehicles could face a fine of between RM2,000 and RM10,000, imprisonment of up to two years, or both.

Repeat offenders will face significantly harsher penalties. A second or subsequent conviction carries a fine ranging from RM5,000 to RM20,000, imprisonment of up to five years, or both.

Anthony Loke said the amendment bill, which consists of 11 key areas covering 42 provisions, will proceed to its second reading during the current parliamentary sitting.

If passed, the amendments are expected to strengthen Malaysia’s efforts to tackle illegal street racing by allowing authorities to take action before dangerous behaviour results in serious accidents or fatalities, while providing a clearer legal framework for prosecuting offenders.