Road Transport Act 1987 · Updated to 15 Oct 2023 · Part II · Classification, Registration and Licensing of Motor Vehicles and Drivers
35. Power of Director General to suspend or revoke a driving licence
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The director general may suspend a driving licence for up to twelve months, or revoke it, if the driver's record shows a risk to public safety or a lack of competence. The minister may make rules to award points against drivers for offences. Revocation follows the third suspension in five years. Probationary driving licences are not covered.
Summary · Drafted with AI, checked against the official text on 30 Sep 2026.
Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, the Director
General may suspend every driving licence of a person for a period not exceeding twelve months or revoke a driving licence of a person if such person’s record, as kept by the Director General, as a driver of a motor vehicle, or his conduct or habits as such driver, establishes that it would not be in the interests of public safety for him to hold a valid driving licence or that such person is not competent to drive a motor vehicle.
driving licence
“driving licence” means a licence to drive a motor vehicle granted or deemed to be granted under Part II and includes a learner’s driving licence and a probationary driving licence granted under section 29;
For the purpose of establishing that it would not be in the interests of public safety for a person to hold a driving licence or that such person is not competent to drive a motor vehicle, the Minister may make rules establishing a system of awarding points against a person for the commission of an offence under this Act or a person who has been compounded under this Act and has paid the compound:
motor vehicle
“motor vehicle” means a vehicle of any description, propelled by means of mechanism contained within itself and constructed or adapted so as to be capable of being used on roads, and includes a trailer;
Provided that such rules may make provision, where points have been awarded against any person, for a scheme for such points to be reduced on the ground of the good conduct and habits over a specified period of that person as a driver of a motor vehicle and for requiring any such person to undergo such course as the Director
driver
“driver” means the person for the time being driving a motor vehicle and, in the case of a stationary motor vehicle, includes the person for the time being responsible for the driving of the motor vehicle;
General may prescribe.
prescribe
“prescribe”, where no mode is mentioned, means to prescribe by rules made under this Act;
The rules made under subsection (2) shall specify the maximum number of points to be awarded against a person before it may be established that it would not be in the interests of public safety for him to hold a driving licence or that such person is not competent to drive a motor vehicle.
The power conferred upon the Director General by this section to suspend the driving licence of a person may be exercised at such time after the maximum number of points referred to in subsection (3)
Director General
“Director General” means the Director General for Road Transport appointed under section 3; *NOTE—The Companies Act 1965 has since been repealed by the Companies Act 2016 which comes into operation on 31 January 2017—see subsection 620(1)…
has been awarded against such person as the Director General considers fit.
The powers conferred upon the Director General to revoke the driving licence of a person under this section shall be exercised at
58 Laws of Malaysia ACT 333
such time after the driving licence of such person has been suspended under subsection (4) for the third time in a period of five years.
(Deleted by Act A973).
Where the person is disqualified by an order of a court from holding or obtaining a driving licence for such period of time as may be specified in such order, every point awarded against him under the rules made under subsection (2) shall thereupon be cancelled.
(Deleted by Act A973).
(Deleted by Act A1512).
(Deleted by Act A1512).
For the purposes of this section, “driving licence” shall not include a probationary driving licence.
probationary driving licence
“probationary driving licence” means a licence for a probationary period of two years which is granted to any person who has passed the prescribed tests of competence;