YOURSAY | Everyone must make way for the ambulance

YOURSAY | ‘It is an emergency vehicle whereas the VIP convoy is not.’

COMMENT | VIP vs ambulance: Who has the right of way?

Najib: Ambulance stopping for convoy not PM's fault

IndigoKite6964: Of course, there is a hierarchical order in Malaysia. We are, after all, a constitutional monarchy.

However, the hierarchy is quite flat. We have the royalties and the commoners. This includes the PM. However, only the PM is entitled to outriders. Even full ministers are not entitled to that treatment, but they are.

There is no doubt about the royalty. They always have the right of way. However, I note that the king did stop to help a motorist in trouble once and it earned him praises.

However, what about the PM? Well, he is an important man, but not more important than the life of another person. Did the police act wrongly by holding up the ambulance? I don't think so. They acted as they were told by the PM.

When we elect a person into power, we elected them to represent us and not to be our lord. In Malaysia, it is different. They only look humble during polls and once they are voted in, they behave as our lords.

The hierarchical order between the people and their elected representatives is plainly one that is created by the politicians themselves.

What is worst today is that these politicians aren't even legitimate. We had never intended them to be in the ministerial positions they hold.

Whenever I hear sirens blaring away with some luxury car without a royal plate following, it has become an automatic response to move out of the way and then say... there goes an idiot.

Bluemountains: According to Rule 9 of the Road Traffic Rules 1959, the ambulance is an emergency vehicle whereas the VIP convoy is not. Therefore, the VIP convoy is required by law to give way to the ambulance.

The VIP convoy is deemed to have committed an offence if the law had been applied without any bias.

Notwithstanding the above, it is not the fault of the VIP convoy as it was given priority over the ambulance by the police officers on duty.

Anon25: There are some good points raised in this discussion. But let me give my views.

First, the traffic police, the outriders, are the most skilful riders I have encountered. They use sirens in good time so that road users are properly warned. Their signalling is efficient, allowing traffic to comply without too much difficulty.

Second, and I say this with the best advice, a few minutes delay makes no difference to the patient's survival.

Things like oxygen, airway tubes and asthma medication should already be available in the ambulance, with paramedics in the vehicle knowing how to use them.

So let us be fair to our traffic police outriders.

PurpleRabbit4431: It was the fault of the police or the traffic police supervisor who did not make the protocol clear to those who control the traffic.

These politicians are elected by the people who are entrusted to do a certain job. They are not elected to hold the position for people to pay respect to but are elected to be there to serve the rakyat.

They are already paid with very high salaries and other perks, but they are not entitled to any other additional respect if such respect has not been earned.

The people, especially those in the public service sectors, should never feel that we are second-class citizens to politicians.

Neutral Point: I think it is time for all of Malaysia to wake up and stop all this nonsense.

We only give way under normal circumstances to the Agong and PM, but if there is an ambulance, fire engine, police truck with criminal offenders, we shall give these vehicles priority.

Vehicle ferrying ministers, deputy ministers, inspector-general of police or other so-called VIPs should be treated as normal road users with no additional privileges in using the road.

As PM, he should be humble enough not to cause trouble to other road users by using traffic police to clear all traffic right from his residence in Tropicana to Putrajaya or to any other official functions.

The rakyat on the road are also rushing for work to earn enough to pay taxes to feed these politicians.

Ravinder: Feudalism rules supreme in Malaysia where even ambulances on emergency calls must come to a dead stop to allow the PM and other ministers to zoom through without even slowing down a bit.

What sort of "caring" government is it that does not care for those in emergency health situations? What if a minister is in the ambulance?

Quigonbond: The right thing to do is for the PM to say "something is wrong - of course, if I know, I'd give way - we will instruct the police to revise their protocol".

Keeping quiet just goes to show they are all about power above compassion. Johoreans, take note.

Anonymous_1599929489502: The police said they stop the ambulance in order to prevent a collision.

If everybody else has to stop, why can’t the VIP convoy stop to give the way to the ambulance too?

The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. In the past year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.