There are currently no plans to place a limit on the age of Malaysian drivers, transport minister Anthony Loke has said, reported The Star, and the transport minister acknowledged that there had been calls in the past for an age limit to be imposed on drivers in order to prevent accidents.

Asked to comment on a road safety study conducted by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) which found that 30% of drivers above the age of 60 were still actively driving on roads, Loke said that while age is a factor, there are other reasons against imposing a cut-off limit on the age of eligibility for driving.

“Tun Dr Mahathir is 99 [years old] and he still drives. Even my father still drives,” the transport minister said. Loke added that it would be difficult to impose a driving ban on senior citizens, especially if they live in rural areas, or if they need to be mobile during emergencies.

Previously in 2021, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) had proposed for special conditions be imposed to limit the issuance of driving licences to senior citizens, including the requirement of undergoing a doctor’s examination to ensure they are healthy to drive.

Shortly thereafter, then-transport minister Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong quashed claims of any such imposition being planned, saying that a driver’s competence should not be judged solely on age.

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