Loke’s Push for Safety Needs One Thing: Enforcement

The Transport Ministry (MOT) is looking into making dashboard cameras (dashcams) mandatory for heavy vehicles as part of its renewed efforts to improve road safety.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said stricter enforcement is needed, especially concerning onboard cameras and speed limiters - both of which are often tampered with after passing inspections.

“Video cameras are not compulsory now, but we need to look into it to improve safety,” he said at a press conference after launching CruiseWorld Malaysia 2025.

While speed limiters are already required by law, many operators manipulate or disable them once they pass checks at Puspakom. Loke pointed out that this completely undermines their purpose - discouraging speeding.

He cited the recent East-West Highway bus crash that killed 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students as a tragic example of what happens when safety is ignored.

The chartered bus involved was built in 2013 and had no seatbelts. Seatbelts only became mandatory for buses manufactured from 2020 onwards. Loke noted that while seatbelt laws exist, ensuring compliance is still the real challenge.

At Carz.com.my, we’ve long highlighted the lack of enforcement on matters like this.

In fact, operators continue to flout regulations because they know that both checks are irregular and consequences are minimal. If enforcement happens occasionally, it arguably sends the message that safety rules are optional.

Why aren’t these inspections being done daily at toll booths or rest areas? The country has more than enough JPJ officers on payroll, yes? Why aren’t they being deployed to routinely inspect and enforce?

Stronger laws mean nothing without consistent enforcement. Frequent, visible checks would deter manipulation and improve compliance across the board. It’s time for enforcement to be taken as seriously as the laws themselves.

YB Loke also acknowledged that new regulations often face resistance from industry players who claim safety upgrades increase operational costs. But when lives are at stake, cost concerns cannot be allowed to outweigh human life.

Operators who claim they’re “burdened” by safety measures must be given a clear choice: comply, or lose your permit. There should be no room for negotiation when it comes to public safety.

If an operator finds it too costly to follow basic safety rules, then they should not be allowed to operate. Period.

Loke is right when he says safety measures are not meant to burden, but to save lives. But that message must now be backed by real action.