The minimum age for obtaining a motorcycle licence should be raised from 16 to 18 to help curb illegal street racing among youths, Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) chairman Prof Dr Wong Shaw Voon has proposed.
Wong said underage motorcycling required urgent attention, noting that children as young as 12 were already riding motorcycles without licences.
He said these minors, including primary and secondary school students, were being exposed to road accident risks and illegal racing activities.
“The reality on the ground is that many minors, from primary to secondary school students, begin riding motorcycles without a licence as early as age 12.
“Therefore, the minimum age to obtain a motorcycle licence should be raised to 18 to help curb illegal racing among youths,” he said.
The proposal comes after the enforcement of the Road Transport (Amendment) Act 2026, which reportedly introduced fines of up to RM10,000 for activities involving illegal street racing, reckless riding and mat rempit behaviour.
The amendments to the Road Transport Act 1987 also seek to tackle tonto syndicates, strengthen enforcement and digitalise Road Transport Department services.
However, Wong cautioned that raising the minimum licensing age to 18 or even 21 would have limited impact if existing laws were not properly enforced.
He stressed that parents and other stakeholders must also take responsibility instead of leaving the issue entirely to the government.
“Many minors are already riding motorcycles without a licence as early as age 12.
“This group does not care whether the age limit is raised because they are already riding illegally. If this group is not addressed first, any age amendment will yield no results,” he said.
Wong warned that allowing children to break the law at an early age could undermine their respect for the law and the authorities.
Meanwhile, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Malaysia (CILTM) president Prof Dr Muhammad Zaly Shah Muhammad Hussein said any proposal to raise the minimum licensing age from 16 should be assessed using data on offenders before being adopted as a primary solution.
He said raising the age limit could reduce young riders’ exposure to road risks if they complied with the law, but stressed that reducing road accidents and curbing mat rempit activities were two separate outcomes that needed to be evaluated independently.
“We need offender data before determining how far this measure will help. We do not yet have a sufficient basis to promise a specific percentage reduction,” he said.
Muhammad Zaly added that any increase in the minimum age must be supported by evidence demonstrating that its road safety benefits would outweigh potential impacts on students’ access to education.
