JPJ DG says not everyone is ready for digitalisation – dept will continue to make physical process available

The road tax (lesen kenderaan motor, or LKM) and driver’s licence may have made the move to digital, but the road transport department acknowledges that not everyone is ready to take the online path. As such, it will continue to make physical transactions available to motorists.

Speaking about the matter at an event earlier this week, JPJ director-general Datuk Rospiagos Taha recognised that not everyone was comfortable with the digital route and utilising the MyJPJ app, and that the transition to digitalisation was a process that would require time and consideration.

He said the department would make a gradual transition to full digitalisation as some Malaysians, including indigenous people and the older generation, were not tech-savvy, the New Straits Times reports.

“In the process of interlinking towards full integration, not all our customers are accustomed to using digital technologies. There are certain groups, particularly those residing in rural areas and older people, who may face constraints when it comes to digital usage,” he said.

“Taking this into consideration, we are currently in an interim phase where we are offering dual options until we reach a point where we believe the Malaysian society is truly ready for digital adoption,” he said.

As to when this would be, Rospiagos said the department did not have a specific timeframe in mind. “As soon as we deem it appropriate, we will proceed with the transition gradually,” he explained. He stressed that it was not mandatory for everyone to go through the digital process for settling their JPJ-related matters, as the physical process was still available.

In February, during his announcement of the switch to a digital format for the road tax and driving licence, transport minister Anthony Loke had stated that it was not mandatory for motorists to download the MyJPJ mobile application, nor would they need to keep a digital copy of their road tax or driver’s licence in hand, as their validity could be established by JPJ personnel through their devices.

Last week, the department made a police report over a post made on Facebook by a user claiming that a physical road tax is still mandatory. It said that the statement made in the post was untrue and misled the public.

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