cermin gelap

Dark days ahead for those in the dark, it seems. Beginning on June 16, the police and the Road Transport Department (JPJ) will undertake a nationwide operation called Ops Cermin Gelap.

As the name suggests, the operation will target vehicles with heavily-tinted windows, with their owners set to face a fine of RM300, according to news reports. Permissible tint levels in the existing rules states a minimum of 70% visible light transmission levels for the front windscreen and 50% for other windows and the rear windshield.

There's no doubting that window film tint is very much a necessity here, given the daytime temperature levels Malaysian motorists face daily, and there's the element of safety too. But there's tint, and then there's tint, and the quest to keep cool has shown up a darker side to things in many cases.

The cops say the reason for the operation is to reduce the risk of crime, the move aimed at brightening the situation, quite literally. "The heavy tinting makes it difficult for us to identify who is inside the car, especially when we are in search of crime suspects," Bukit Aman traffic police chief SAC Mohd Fuad Abd Latiff told reporters at a briefing on the matter.

"It is difficult for victims to identify suspects in the event of crimes due to the use of tinted windows," he explained, adding that registration number plates that do not conform to specifications would also be targeted in the operation. Cars equipped with strobe lights are also set to face the music.

There's a month's grace period to rectify things, with removal of the non-compliant items solving the issue. If you choose to persist with it, run the gauntlet at your own risk come June 16, so says the authorities.