Parents can be punished if children involved in dangerous cycling - Bukit Aman

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4  -- The parents of children involved in dangerous cycling can be subject to legal action, says Bukit Aman Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department director Datuk Azisman Alias

He said the parents could be charged in accordance with Section 33 of the Child Act 2001.

"This action can be taken against parents or guardians if they failed to prevent their children from getting involved in dangerous cycling activities, which poses risk to the children themselves as well as other motorists.

"The section provides that it is an offence for parents or guardians for leaving their children without reasonable care and supervision, where if convicted, they can be fined up to a maximum of RM20,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or both," he said during a press conference in Bukit Aman here today.

He said it was not legally possible to detain some of the children involved the activity, as Section 82 of the Penal Code stipulates that a child under the age of 10 could not be convicted for an offence.

Azisman said so far, the only enforcement action taken was to seize the bicycles and issue summonses based on the provisions of the Road Traffic Rules 1959 (LN 166/1959), as well as sections 54 and 112 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

-- BERNAMA