Director of car workshop fined for allowing family members to perform illegal vehicle modifications

SINGAPORE: The director of a car workshop was fined S$6,000 by a court docket very last Thursday (Mar 2) for enabling his workers, together with his relatives customers, to illegally change motor vehicle exhaust techniques for their consumers.

The sole director of Man Exhaust Werkz, 30-yr-old Muhammad Shahrudin Mat Nooh, pleaded responsible to a few rates of permitting the illegal modifications.

A consumer named Sulaiman Mohamed drove his car or truck to the workshop at Very first East Centre at 10 Kaki Bukit Road in early 2022.

He wished to have his exhaust modified to strengthen the gas use capability of his motor vehicle.

When Sulaiman realised that he experienced to send his auto for inspection in February 2022, he brought the motor vehicle back again to the workshop to have the modified exhaust switched out for a compliant a person before likely for the inspection.

Right after passing the inspection, Sulaiman returned to the workshop exactly where the modified exhaust was restored.

For the alternative is effective, he compensated S$280 to Shahrudin’s brother and worker, Muhammad Shahrizal Mat Nooh.

A Land Transportation Authority (LTA) enforcement officer located Sulaiman driving the auto with the modified exhaust in Toa Payoh on Mar 4, 2022.

On Feb 16, 2022, a different driver, Shawn Seow Zhi Wei, drove his father’s car or truck to the workshop to strengthen the sound emitting from the exhaust.

He returned to the workshop 3 times afterwards as the seem from the initial modification was also loud for him.

He paid out a complete of S$400 for the two visits.

An LTA officer found the modified exhaust on Mar 17 in Pasir Ris.

In February 2022, driver Ang Wee Beng drove his vehicle to the workshop to have his modified exhaust changed with a compliant one particular to move an inspection.

He understood Shahrudin’s father from when the latter was performing as a mechanic and reached out to him for the replacement operates.

Shahrudin’s father was also performing at the workshop. Ang returned to the workshop following passing the inspection and experienced his modified exhaust fitted again. 

He paid out S$100 for the alternative works.

In advance of these three occasions, Shahrudin currently understood that his employees, such as his spouse and children members, ended up carrying out modification performs that had been not permitted, stated the prosecution.

Nonetheless, he condoned their behaviour and did not get active techniques to prevent them. In its place, he endorsed a function surroundings with lax tactics in curbing these modifications, said the prosecutor.

To start with-time offenders who permit the unlawful alteration of a motor vehicle’s exhaust method deal with a jail phrase of up to a few months, a fantastic of up to S$5,000, or the two.

Repeat offenders experience double the jail phrase and high-quality. 

CNA has arrived at out to LTA on irrespective of whether any action has been taken towards the others included in the illegal auto modifications.