Road safety must be daily, not just festive seasons, says S'wak Transport Minister
MIRI (May 31): Road safety must be embraced as a daily responsibility, not just during festive seasons, and every life saved is the result of a collective effort, said Sarawak Transport Minister Dato Sri Lee Kim Shin.
While the government continues to improve infrastructure and run awareness campaigns, the real impact depends on the commitment and responsibility of all road users, he said.
Lee, also the Senadin assemblyman made the remarks during a road safety campaign held in conjunction with the Gawai Dayak celebration at Permy Mall here today.
As part of the campaign, regulated helmets, safety vests, and reflective straps, sponsored by Sarawak Petroleum Berhad (Petros), were distributed to riders and drivers to encourage safer road practices.
Citing statistics from the Royal Malaysia Police, Lee said Miri recorded 1,120 road accident cases from January to April this year, marking a reduction of 48 cases or 4.1 per cent compared to the same period in 2024.
'Fatal accidents dropped from 19 to 14, while serious and minor injury cases also decreased,' he said, urging motorists to remain alert, especially along Miri's top five accident-prone roads – Jalan Pan Borneo, Jalan Miri–Bintulu (near Borneo Medical Centre), Jalan Miri Bypass, Jalan Miri–Pujut, and Jalan Kuala Baram Bypass.
'Every accident is a tragedy, whether it involves the loss of life or damage to property,' he stressed.
On a related note, he encouraged eligible secondary school students to sign up for the MyLesen programme, which offers affordable and legal motorcycle licences.
'We want the younger generation to be safety-conscious from an early age,' he said, adding that the programme eases the financial burden on families while ensuring youths receive proper training and education before getting on the road.
Lee also extended his Gawai greetings to all Sarawakians, calling on the public to make road safety part of their daily habits.
Also in attendance were Miri deputy mayor Ariffin Mohamad, and Miri police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah. Gawai Lee Kim Shin miri road safety
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
5 days ago
- The Star
Four Pakatan MPs urge S'gor govt to delay car park privatisation plan, review proposal
KUALA LUMPUR: Delay the privatisation of public car parking lots in Selangor and form an independent committee to review the proposal, urge four Pakatan Harapan lawmakers. The four MPs also urged the Selangor state government to publicly disclose the terms and conditions of the Selangor Intelligent Parking (SIP) scheme and its commercial terms. The four are Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung, Selayang MP William Leong, Shah Alam MP Azli Yusof and Subang MP Wong Chen – whose constituencies were affected by the new parking scheme. 'The proposed SIP privatisation scheme raises legal, commercial and operational concerns. 'Overall, from the disclosed but limited information of the scheme, we are concerned that the scheme appears to be in favour of private interests over the rights and benefits of our local authorities (PBT) and constituents,' says Lee, who spoke on behalf of the MPs at a press conference on Tuesday (July 22). He urged the state government to confirm whether ministerial approval was received for the scheme to be introduced, since the public parking lots fall under the jurisdiction of the Transport Ministry. Lee also claimed that the scheme sidelined input and decision-making from the PBTs. 'Under the current scheme, a private company stands to collect 50% of the revenue, Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI) only 10%, while the PBTs, who remain legally responsible for parking operations, would only receive 40% of all revenue. 'On the surface, this revenue sharing scheme seems lopsided and needs further detailed disclosures,' he said. He added that the privatisation would risk maximising revenue collection and make profits, when the public parking lots are public service. 'We call for a revision of the entire scheme and urge the state government and PBTs to prioritise the Klang Valley's broader mobility needs, such as the strategic allocation of parking bays, integration with public transport, and city walkability,' Lee added. On July 15, state local government and tourism committee chairman Datuk Ng Suee Lim The said that the SIP agreement is not final and its Aug 1 implementation may be delayed as state authorities are still refining details. The four PBTs involved in the first phase are Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ), Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) and Selayang Municipal Council (MPS). Under the concession agreement, enforcement measures such as issuing compounds will come under the PBTs' purview, while the enforcement officers' salaries and emoluments will be handled by the concessionaire.
The Star
6 days ago
- The Star
JPJ to expand seatbelt rule to varsity, residential school buses
KUANTAN: The Road Transport Department (JPJ) plans to expand the enforcement of seatbelt usage to all buses owned by institutions of higher learning and fully residential schools. JPJ director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli said the department will mobilise its state-level technical and enforcement teams from this month to collaborate with institutions for bus inspections. 'Almost all higher education institutions and residential schools have their own buses. 'We want to ensure that these vehicles are properly maintained and the drivers observe road safety regulations,' he told a press conference after launching the MyLesen (B2) handover ceremony here yesterday. 'However, inspections will be conducted in phases due to JPJ's limited manpower.' In a related development, Aedy Fadly said JPJ is currently developing a mechanism to suspend or revoke driving licences issued under the MyLesen B2 programme if participants are found to be involved in illegal racing or reckless riding. 'We do not want government efforts to be in vain as the MyLesen B2 programme is fully funded by the Federal Government. 'From training to testing, recipients of the licence do not have to bear any cost,' he said. Aedy Fadly urged all recipients to comply strictly with road regulations and to refrain from engaging in illegal or dangerous activities. 'We are still finalising the penalties, possibly suspension or complete revocation of the licence. Should that happen, the individual would have to reapply like any other member of the public. 'It's a waste when we grant this opportunity to those who fail to value the government's efforts,' he said, Bernama reported. At the event, a total of 940 out of 1,000 MyLesen B2 participants successfully obtained motorcycle licences. Meanwhile, in line with Transport Minister Anthony Loke's recent announcement to increase the programme's national quota by 10,000 for the second half of this year, priority will be given to secondary school students, especially those in the JPJ Cadet programme. 'These students have already been exposed to traffic laws and road safety practices, making them ideal candidates for the B2 licence assistance programme,' said Aedy Fadly. There are 25 schools in Pahang with around 1,000 cadets, and over 300 schools nationwide hosting the cadet units. On July 10, Loke announced that JPJ would allocate an additional 10,000 slots under the MyLesen B2 programme nationwide, involving an allocation of RM3.5mil.
Borneo Post
7 days ago
- Borneo Post
JPJ mulls seatbelt rules on higher education institutions, residential school buses
File photo for illustration purposes KUANTAN (July 20): The Road Transport Department (JPJ) plans to expand enforcement of seatbelt usage to all buses owned by institutions of higher learning and fully residential schools. Its director-general Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli said the department will mobilise its state-level technical and enforcement teams beginning in August to collaborate with institutions in inspecting their buses. 'Almost all higher education institutions and residential schools have their own buses… we want to ensure that these vehicles are properly maintained and comply with specifications, and that their drivers also adhere to road safety regulations,' he told a press conference after officiating the MyLesen (B2) licence handover ceremony at a hotel here today. However, he said inspections will be conducted in phases due to JPJ's limited manpower capacity. In a related development, Aedy Fadly said the department is currently developing a mechanism to suspend or revoke driving licences issued under the MyLesen B2 programme if participants are found to be involved in illegal activities such as illegal racing or 'rempit' (reckless riding). 'We do not want the government's efforts to go in vain, as the MyLesen B2 programme is fully funded by the federal government. From training to testing, recipients of the licence do not have to bear any cost,' he said. Aedy Fadly urged all recipients of the programme to comply strictly with road regulations and to refrain from engaging in illegal or dangerous activities. 'We are still finalising the penalties, possibly suspension or complete revocation of the licence. Should that happen, the individual would have to reapply like any other member of the public. It's a waste when we grant this opportunity to those who fail to value the government's efforts,' he added. At the event, a total of 940 out of 1,000 MyLesen B2 participants successfully obtained their motorcycle licences. Meanwhile, he said that in line with Transport Minister Anthony Loke's recent announcement to increase the programme's national quota by 10,000 for the second half of the year, priority will be given to secondary school students, especially those in the JPJ Cadet programme. 'These students have already been exposed to traffic laws and road safety practices, making them ideal candidates for the B2 licence assistance programme,' he said. Currently, there are 25 schools in Pahang with around 1,000 JPJ Cadets, and over 300 schools nationwide hosting the cadet units. On July 10, Loke announced that JPJ would allocate an additional 10,000 slots under the MyLesen B2 programme nationwide, involving an allocation of RM3.5 million. – Bernama Aedy Fadly Ramli lead Road Transport Department school bus seatbelt
