Hands off visitors’ driving
licences
05/09/2007 The Star By V.P. SUJATA
PUTRAJAYA: Security firms at housing estates and high-rise residences have
no authority to insist that visitors hand over their driving licence to get
a pass to enter the premises.
Road Transport Department (JPJ) director-general Datuk Ahmad Mustapha Abdul
Rashid said security firms could not instruct their guards to ask for the
driving licence, as they were not authorised to do so.
He said it had come to his attention that many security firms have been
asking for the driving licence lately because they knew taking someone’s
identity card was an offence.
“Driving licences cannot be used as an identity document, especially by
those not authorised to handle them.
“The only people authorised to ask for the driving licence are JPJ officers,
traffic wardens and the police.
Ahmad Mustapha also said the driving licence could not be kept by anyone
other than the holder.
He suggested that security guards take down the names and identity card
numbers of visitors or accept any other credentials to allow visitors access
into condominiums, apartments and residential areas.
JPJ enforcement chief Salim Parlan said visitors who did not want to hand
over their driving licence over to security guards could lodge a police
report against the security firm.
A spokesperson from Security and Public Order division of the Internal
Security Ministry said the ministry only issued permits to security firms
but did not stipulate the type of identification guards could ask from
visitors.
“There is no instruction from us to ask visitors to hand over driving
licences,” he said.
