Latest news with #AnthonyLoke
Borneo Post
36 minutes ago
- Automotive
- Borneo Post
Consumer group seeks clear guidelines on reporting reckless driving safely
David Chan KOTA KINABALU (June 28): The National Consumer Foundation Malaysia (Sabah Chapter) appreciates the recent remarks by Transport Minister Anthony Loke, encouraging the public to record and report incidents of reckless driving involving buses and lorries. This proactive call to public participation is commendable and timely, said chairman of the consumer group, David Chan. However, he said many responsible motorists have voiced valid concerns: 1. How can ordinary drivers safely take photos or record videos of dangerous bus or lorry drivers while driving without risking a traffic offence themselves? The public is uncertain whether such actions, even when done with good intentions, may violate traffic laws. 2. Use of Mobile Phones While Driving: It is well known that the Road Transport Department (JPJ) strictly prohibits the use of handphones while driving, and such usage may result in a summons or compound fine, as it poses serious risks to road safety. 3. Risk of Road Accidents: Attempting to photograph or record reckless drivers while in motion may distract motorists, potentially causing accidents or putting lives in danger, especially on highways or narrow roads. In light of the above, the National Consumer Foundation calls upon Loke and the Ministry of Transport to issue a clear guideline on: When and how the public can legally and safely capture footage of reckless commercial vehicle drivers; Whether dashcams and passenger-recorded videos are the recommended method for gathering such evidence; Whether such evidence will be officially accepted by JPJ and APAD for enforcement actions. 'We support the Transport Minister's call for public engagement in enhancing road safety. However, it must be done without compromising legal compliance or public safety. 'We urge the ministry to consider launching a nationwide awareness campaign, encouraging the use of safe recording tools such as dashcams and providing proper reporting channels such as a mobile app or online platform,' said Chan in a statement on Saturday. 'We believe consumer safety on Malaysian roads is a shared responsibility. While enforcement authorities must act firmly against rogue drivers and negligent transport operators, the public should be empowered — not penalized — for doing the right thing,' he added.
Barnama
a day ago
- Business
- Barnama
Escalating Tension In Middle East Raises Cost Concerns Among Travellers, Insurers
The widespread flight delays, rerouting and cancellations are affecting global travel routes through the Gulf region - despite a ceasefire announced between Iran and Israel. KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 (Bernama) — Air travellers and insurance companies are deeply concerned over possible rise in costs brought on by the escalating geopolitical tension in the Middle East which has led to abrupt closure of major airports in the region, which serve as among the busiest aviation hubs. "The situation had disrupted flight paths to Europe, with airlines forced to avoid the Middle East corridor," he said recently. Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed that several Malaysian flights to the Middle East have been cancelled following the missile strike on the US military base in Qatar. Tune Protect Re Ltd chief executive officer Janet Chin told Bernama that the insurer has not observed a spike in claims or inquiries specifically related to the Iran-US conflict. While the impact on insurance claims has remained relatively muted for now, industry players are closely monitoring the situation. The Iran's missile strike on a US base in Qatar, came in retaliation for a US airstrike on Sunday, which targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities, namely Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, marking a sharp escalation in regional hostilities. 'Typically, standard travel insurance policies in the market do not cover events such as these. These situations are generally listed as exclusions in most policies due to the unpredictable and high-risk nature of such events. 'Coverage for these scenarios may be available under specialised or optional add-ons, depending on the insurer, but they are not included as part of a regular travel insurance plan,' she explained. She added that due to the nature of coverage under a standard travel plan that does not cover incidents or events related to war or warlike operations, Tune Protect do not foresee there will be any increase in claims. She said Tune Protect continues to monitor the situation closely and travellers are encouraged to stay informed of travel advisories and understand the scope of their travel insurance coverage before departure. While there has been a marginal uptick in travel insurance purchases through Tune Protect's direct-to-consumer (B2C) channels likely reflecting heightened travel awareness among independent travellers, but there is no clear evidence that it is attributed to the circumstances in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Etiqa Insurance noted there are spikes in enquiries related to flight delays or cancellations caused by the Iran-US base incident from customers and agents. 'Yes, there are spikes in enquiries from customers and agents, but not yet for claims,' said a spokesperson. However, unlike Tune Protect, Etiqa has not seen a surge in demand for new travel insurance policies despite the regional instability. Cancellation Nadia Ahmad Najmi, 25, made the difficult decision to cancel her planned holiday to Europe, despite having everything arranged from flights to itinerary. 'I had been looking forward to this trip for months but with the recent rise in geopolitical tensions, especially with what's happening in several parts of the world right now, I just didn't feel comfortable going through with it. 'My family was also quite anxious. Honestly, their concern weighed heavily on me. So, I decided to cancel and wait until things are more stable. It's frustrating and disappointing but at the same time, peace of mind is worth more than a holiday right now,' she said. Meanwhile, Mohammad Redzuan Imran, 30, who was planning to visit his family in the United Kingdom, also chose to postpone his trip. Although the UK is not directly affected by ongoing conflicts, he noted that flights from Kuala Lumpur often pass through airspace over regions experiencing heightened tensions. 'With all the reports about airlines rerouting or avoiding certain air corridors, it just didn't feel right to take the risk. 'I hope things will stabilise soon so I can rebook when it's safer,' he said. However, owner of Travel for Lifetime Zairol Hasri Md Akhir said his company has not received any cancellations for trips to Europe in September and October. 'Besides, we had already planned from the beginning of the year to purchase flight tickets (no possible cost hike in tickets or insurance). So for this month, there are no trips scheduled by our company,' he said. -- BERNAMA BERNAMA provides up-to-date authentic and comprehensive news and information which are disseminated via BERNAMA Wires; BERNAMA TV on Astro 502, unifi TV 631 and MYTV 121 channels and BERNAMA Radio on FM93.9 (Klang Valley), FM107.5 (Johor Bahru), FM107.9 (Kota Kinabalu) and FM100.9 (Kuching) frequencies. Follow us on social media : Facebook : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatv, @bernamaradio Twitter : @ @BernamaTV, @bernamaradio Instagram : @bernamaofficial, @bernamatvofficial, @bernamaradioofficial TikTok : @bernamaofficial
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Ministers no longer have 'kang tao' to commit graft, says Anthony Loke
Transport Minister Anthony Loke. – YAP CHEE HONG/The Star KUALA LUMPUR: Ministers no longer have "kang tao" (Hokkien slang for money-making opportunity) as they are not allowed to personally endorse any proposed government project, says Anthony Loke. "Gone are the days when ministers can just write down "setuju" (agree) or "jalan" (go ahead) on application letters," said the Transport Minister. He said that when he first took office in 2018, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission briefed all ministers that they cannot write anything that implies that the project should be awarded to any particular company, and this includes support letters. "All projects now go through an open tender process. I can only suggest that the department consider or deliberate. "There is no need to lobby ministers as they can no longer give you a project. "Ministers have no 'kang tao' right now, as there is a process for project approval," said Loke at the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) Power Chat 6.0 here on Thursday (June 26). Also present were ACCCIM president Datuk Ng Yih Pyng, logistic industry stakeholders and ACCCIM constituent members, who put forward pertinent questions to the minister during the Q&A session. On the topic of women-only coaches in public transport, Loke said these were broadly welcomed by female commuters who make up a larger portion of those who use public transport." He said statistics show that 65% of public transport users are women and these carriages provide a comfortable and safe travel experience. "We are not suggesting that all male passengers have ill intentions but incidents of harassment have occurred, so preventive measures are necessary," he said. Loke noted that women-only carriages is not related to religion and that "women of all faiths need protection." Addressing broader economic concerns, Loke assured that the unity government would not allow Malaysia's economy to collapse. "Despite recent dissatisfaction over tax policies, we are willing to listen to public opinion and make necessary adjustments. "I can assure you that the government is monitoring everything. We are not perfect, but we are listening," he said. Quoting the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from a recent cabinet meeting, Loke said; "usually, once the Finance Ministry makes a decision, it doesn't change its mind. But why are some things changing now? It's because we listen to public opinion. "As a Cabinet member, I can tell you we want to propel the nation forward. We want Malaysia's economy to soar and we certainly don't want people to lose their jobs. If some policies are truly unworkable, we are willing to make changes," he said.
The Star
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Star
JPJ, APAD told to step up monitoring of repeat offenders, says Loke
KUALA LUMPUR: The Road Transport Department (JPJ) and the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) have been instructed to step up monitoring of repeat traffic offenders involving transport companies and commercial vehicle drivers. Transport Minister Anthony Loke said this is following claims of delays by authorities in taking action against repeat traffic offenders. "I have instructed JPJ and APAD to be more aggressive in their monitoring, particularly of repeat offenders, including companies or even drivers with multiple violations. "Proactive action needs to be taken, including audits. Audits will be carried out at transport companies regardless of whether an incident has occurred,' he told a media conference after the My50 Pass Digitalisation Briefing and Launch at KL Sentral LRT Station here on Thursday (June 26) On claims about lorry drivers concealing traffic summonses, resulting in a backlog of unpaid fines, Loke said that is an internal matter of the companies involved. "Firstly, a summons is still a summons. I feel that they need to work out a method together with their drivers because the permit is issued to the company, not the driver. So, when a vehicle is summoned, the vehicle owner or permit holder bears the responsibility. "So, to me, it is their internal affair, including how they deal with their drivers,' he said. On Wednesday (June 25), the Transport Ministry revealed a list of 11 goods vehicle operators and 17 express bus companies with a high number of outstanding traffic summonses. Meanwhile, asked if the My50 unlimited travel pass, which is currently used on rail and bus services operated by Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, would be expanded to all public transport operators, Loke said they are in talks with Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd (ERL), the private operator of the KLIA Ekspres service, to offer monthly passes at a lower rate to users. "So, this is what we are working on, it's just that I can't say the RM50 pass is for all types of transport modes. That will be very difficult to implement,' he said. Regarding the lack of parking space and damage to vehicles at public transport station areas, Loke said the government encourages the public to use the Rapid On-Demand (ROD) service to get to LRT stations. "The government cannot build park-and-ride facilities at every location. That's why we introduced ROD, the whole idea is that we want to encourage more people to use public transport,' he said. - Bernama
Barnama
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Barnama
KDEBWM Explains High Number Of Outstanding Summonses
SHAH ALAM, June 26 (Bernama) -- KDEB Waste Management (KDEBWM) has clarified that its large-scale operations, involving more than 1,500 vehicles across Selangor, are among the reasons the solid waste management and public cleansing company has the highest number of outstanding traffic summonses. Its managing director Datuk Ramli Mohd Tahir said KDEBWM's business model involves providing vehicles such as compactor lorries and roll-on roll-off (RoRo) trucks to appointed subcontractors; as such, any traffic offence involving these vehicles results in summonses being issued under the company's name as the registered owner. He said that as a wholly owned company of the Selangor government, KDEBWM takes responsibility in creating a more transparent business ecosystem by supplying the necessary vehicles to subcontractors to ensure optimal cleanliness throughout the state. 'When KDEBWM was mandated to take over the management of domestic waste and public cleansing in 2016, we adopted a different business model that had not been practised before — making major investments in asset procurement. 'Once the lorries were procured, we handed them over to appointed vendors or companies. Since KDEBWM purchased the vehicles, our name is registered as the owner on the vehicle grants,' he told a press conference here today. Yesterday, the Transport Ministry released a list of 11 commercial vehicle operators and 17 express bus companies with the highest number of outstanding traffic summonses. Minister Anthony Loke was reported as saying that among the companies listed was KDEBWM, with 22,017 summonses. Commenting further, Ramli said that for each offence committed, whether by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) or the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), summonses are issued directly to the driver. In such cases, drivers are supposed to forward the summonses to the companies or vendors employing them. He said a breakdown in the communication chain — such as drivers failing to inform their employers — had resulted in summonses being accumulated under KDEBWM's name. This is despite the fact that, under contract, the appointed subcontractors are responsible for any summonses involving their drivers or vehicles.
