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  • 2022-11-04 (xsd:date)
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  • Posts share false claim about 'application for free driving licences' in Malaysia (en)
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  • False posts shared repeatedly on Facebook claim Malaysians can apply for free driving licences. The Malaysian Road Transport Department (RTD) said the advert was made by a scam syndicate using the Malaysian prime minister's picture and urged the public not to share personal information via the link in the posts. The false post was shared here on Facebook on September 27, 2022. The Malaysian-language caption translates: Last call! Apply now for free licence assistance for all these groups. / There are still many vacancies and applications will close at the end of this month. It links to a blog post, for which the thumbnail preview shows a picture of Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Malaysian text: LAST CALL / DRIVING LICENCE ASSISTANCE / FOR ALL GROUPS / MANY VACANCIES. Screenshot of the misleading post, taken on October 14, 2022 The minimum age to obtain a licence in Malaysia is 16 years old for motorcycles and 17 for cars. On its website , the Malaysian Road Transport Department (RTD) said that it does not set the price for driving lessons. As a learner driver candidate, it is the sole responsibility of the candidate to make a comparison in terms of price and quality of services offered by several driving Institutes prior to making the decision to learn to drive at any driving Institute, it says. The claim has been shared more than 250 times after it also circulated in similar posts on Facebook here , here , here and here . However, the posts are a scam, according to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. The posts shared a blog post link here , which provides more information on the purported application process, including eligibility requirements. However, in the section labelled How to Make an Application, the paragraph below it reads: So far, no statement has been released on how to apply for this assistance. Any information will be updated from time to time. It described the purported initiative as Bantuan Lesen Keluarga Malaysia which translates to English as Malaysian Family Licence Assistance. Prime Minister Ismail Sabri launched the Malaysian Family Licence Assistance initiative on March 13, 2022. However, according to this document on the RTD's website, the initiative only targets the B40 group -- or the bottom 40 percent of Malaysia's household income -- to apply for the B2 class driving license (motorcycles not exceeding 250 cc). Fake advert In response to the false posts, the Malaysian Road Transport Department said it was not waiving driving licence fees. It issued a Malaysian-language statement on its official Facebook page here on September 28, 2022, which translates in part as: The Malaysian Road Transport Department (RTD) has received a report related to the advertisement of Free Driving Licence Assistance for All Groups, through the WhatsApp application. Through advertisements that have misused the image of the Prime Minister of Malaysia, the syndicate is promoting a free driver's licence that can be registered, via the link https://www.motif.my/bantuan-lesen/ . Not only that, but the public is also invited to join the 'WhatsApp group' at the link https://www.portalmalaysia.com/whatsappgroupbantuan , to deceive more victims. The RTD would like to inform you that the advertisement is FAKE. The RTD said it would report the scam to the Royal Malaysian Police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission . (en)
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