SHAH ALAM - Staff of the Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre (Puspakom) involved in misconduct will not be protected from any internal disciplinary action if proven to have committed such acts.
This follows an inspection by the Road Transport Department (RTD) at the Puspakom Wangsa Maju branch, which found a vehicle deemed unsafe had passed the inspection at the company.
Puspakom chief executive officer Mahmood Razak Bahman said the company had confirmed that two staff members from the branch were called to provide statements to RTD on Tuesday.
"To ensure the integrity of Puspakom inspections, the company will not hesitate to take appropriate action against the involved staff as provided under the terms and conditions of their employment contracts, including suspension or dismissal," he said in a statement on Monday.
RTD carried out spot checks dubbed ‘Op Mengejut Puspakom’ at the centres nationwide on Monday to ensure that each vehicle inspected complied with the established standards.
RTD Senior Enforcement Director Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan said the operation was conducted without prior notice to Puspakom, as per the instruction of Transport Minister Anthony Loke, who wanted the enforcement to be carried out in phases.
Mahmood stated that the company was ready to cooperate and welcomed the enforcement carried out by RTD to ensure that inspections were conducted in accordance with the established Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
He added that the initiative would help promote road safety practices in the country.
"This surprise inspection is part of RTD’s ongoing efforts to ensure vehicle safety and legal compliance on the road.
"We fully support this initiative to ensure that all inspection procedures are carried out transparently and according to the standards set by the authorities.
"Puspakom encourages the public to report any misconduct related to Puspakom at 1-800-88-2005 or whistleblowing@drb-hicom.com," he said.