
Government bans import of dummy seat belt buckles
Published on: Wed, Jul 02, 2025
By: FMT Reporters Text Size: Dummy buckles are inserted into belt slots to prevent the alarm from triggering whenever a seat belt is not worn. (File pic) PETALING JAYA: The government has moved to ban the import of mechanisms such as dummy buckles and seat belt alarm stoppers, effective Dec 31. The move was announced through the Customs (Prohibition of Imports) (Amendment) (No. 2) Order 2025, published in the federal gazette. The order prohibits the import of 'dummy buckles, seat belt alarm stoppers, seat belt clip extenders or any other similar accessory or device intended to be inserted into a seat belt buckle to disable or bypass the safety reminder and render the seat belt mechanism inoperative'. The transport ministry previously said it was in talks with the domestic trade and cost of living ministry to introduce a ban on dummy buckles, following concerns over their widespread use to silence seat belt alarms. During a Chinese New Year traffic operation in Negeri Sembilan, authorities found that nearly 30% of 195 offenders caught for not wearing seat belts had used dummy buckles to avoid triggering the warning alert.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Star
10 hours ago
- The Star
No more dummy buckles
Road safety boost: According to research by Miros, the use of dummy seat belt buckles significantly increases the risk of serious injury or death due to the absence of a functioning seat belt, even if airbags deploy correctly during a crash. — AZMAN GHANI/The Star PETALING JAYA : The import of dummy seat belt buckles and latch plates used to mute warning beepers will be outlawed from Dec 31 in a new regulation aimed at improving road safety. The federal gazette issued on June 24 under subsection 31(1) of the Customs Act 1967 [Act 235] states that 'a dummy buckle, seat-belt alarm stopper, seat-belt clip extender or any other similar accessory or device intended to be inserted into a seat-belt buckle to disable or bypass the safety reminder and rendering the seat-belt mechanism inoperative' are prohibited from import from all countries. The Transport Ministry had mulled the ban in February after the Road Transport Department had raised the alarm on a trend of using the device after inspections found it fitted in the vehicles of a third of motorists. Used to prevent car sensors from beeping when drivers and passengers do not buckle up, the veiled dangers of the device has been well-studied. According to research by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) Vehicle Safety and Biomechanics Centre, the use of dummy seat belt buckles has contributed to several fatal road accidents, significantly increasing the risk of serious injury or death due to the absence of a functioning seat belt, even if airbags deploy correctly during a crash. The findings showed that this is because airbags and seat belts are designed to function together where seat belts restrain the body during a collision while airbags provide additional cushioning to minimise the injuries from impact with a vehicle dashboard or steering wheel. In a crash test conducted by Miros at a speed of 56kph showed that a dummy buckle installed in the rear passenger seat of a vehicle had detached and caused severe injuries to both rear and front passengers during the simulation. A survey by Miros also revealed that 12.9% of 326 respondents admitted to using dummy buckles, prompting the institute to call for regulatory action to prohibit both the sale and use of dummy buckles in Malaysia. The devices sold openly in physical shops and online merchant platforms come in two variations of either a dummy seat belt buck or simple latch plate prices between RM1.50 and RM8.


Daily Express
a day ago
- Daily Express
Kelana Jaya LRT services disrupted after passenger falls onto track
Published on: Friday, July 04, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jul 04, 2025 By: FMT Reporters Text Size: Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd said it would cooperate fully with the police investigation. PETALING JAYA: The Kelana Jaya LRT line temporarily disrupted services this morning after a passenger fell onto the tracks. Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd said the passenger entered the track area of the Subang Alam LRT station at about 8am as a train was approaching the platform. Advertisement The passenger, who sustained a serious injury to his head, was rescued by members of the public before fire and rescue personnel arrived at the scene, according to the Selangor fire and rescue department. The 27-year-old man was sent to Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang for treatment. 'Police are conducting an investigation and Rapid Rail will provide its full cooperation,' the company said in a statement. Rail services resumed at 10.22am. In February, a blind man lost his balance and fell onto the tracks at the Titiwangsa LRT station where he was struck by a train and died. Last month, a similar incident occurred at the Pusat Bandar Puchong LRT station where a Taiwanese man in his 60s fell onto the tracks and was run over by a train. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia


Daily Express
a day ago
- Daily Express
Part-time hotel worker pleads guilty to raping Australian woman
Published on: Friday, July 04, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jul 04, 2025 By: FMT Reporters Text Size: S Prasanth requested time to appoint a lawyer to represent him. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: A part-time hotel worker pleaded guilty in the sessions court in George Town, Penang, today to charges of raping and committing unnatural sex with an Australian woman. S Prasanth, 25, who made the plea before judge Juraidah Abbas, requested time to appoint a lawyer to represent him, Bernama reported. Advertisement Prasanth is charged with raping the woman in a car and putting her in fear by pointing a metal scissors at her at a cemetery in Mount Erskine between 5.20am and 6am on June 28. The charge, under Section 376(2)(b) of the Penal Code, provides imprisonment of up to 30 years and whipping upon conviction. He is also charged with committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature without consent with the woman at the same time and location. The charge, under Section 377C of the Penal Code, provides for imprisonment of five to 20 years and whipping. The prosecution, led by Penang prosecution director Nordin Ismail and deputy public prosecutor Lee Jun Keong, did not offer any bail because of the seriousness of the offence and sensitivity surrounding bilateral relations between Malaysia and Australia. 'We do not want this matter to give a bad impression to foreign tourists who come to Malaysia. We cannot tolerate such offences,' said Nordin. The court did not allow bail and set July 31 for mention for the submission of documents and appointment of counsel. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia