Latest news with #LokeSiewFook
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Free Malaysia Today
First RTS Link train set unveiled
Loke Siew Fook and Singapore's acting transport minister Jeffrey Siow inspecting the first train set for the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : The first of eight train sets for the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link was unveiled today by transport minister Loke Siew Fook and his Singaporean counterpart, Jeffrey Siow. The transport ministries said the train sets will undergo off-site testing, which is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year, Bernama reported. The tests will be conducted by RTS Operations Pte Ltd (RTSO), a joint venture between Prasarana RTS Operations Sdn Bhd and SMRT RTS Pte Ltd. RTSO will also operate the RTS Link service. RTSO, the ministers said, will check the integration between the train and other rail systems, including the signalling system, platform screen doors and onboard communications. 'Carrying out an initial round of off-site testing at Singapore Rail Test Centre (SRTC) allows RTSO to identify and resolve potential integration issues early, before commencing testing of the trains on the RTS Link tracks,' Bernama quoted Loke and Siow as saying. Separately, RTSO chairman Khairil Anwar Ahmad said Train 01, which arrived in Singapore in April, will undergo offsite system integration testing at the SRTC in preparation for full integration and operation. Train sets 02 to 05 have been transported to China Railway Rolling Stock Corporation's manufacturing facility in Batu Gajah, Perak, where they are being assembled, he said. Train sets 06 to 08 will undergo the same process, Khairil added. 'Once the assembly process is completed, these train sets will be transferred to the Wadi Hana Depot in Johor Bahru for further testing and final preparations before being commissioned for passenger service,' Khairil said. The RTS Link, targeted to begin passenger service by December 2026, will connect Bukit Chagar in Johor Bahru with Woodlands North in Singapore. Once launched, the RTS Link will operate with eight driverless train sets, each comprising four cars and capable of carrying over 600 passengers a trip. The RTS Link will have an overall peak capacity of up to 10,000 passengers per hour per direction. Meanwhile, in a statement, MRT Corp said as of May 31, track installation and structural works for key components of the RTS Link project — namely the Marine Viaduct, Bukit Chagar Station and Wadi Hana Depot — have been completed. Interior works at the Wadi Hana Depot are now 80% complete and on track to achieve full completion by October this year, while installation of the Bukit Chagar Station's iconic roof facade is currently under way. It also said the Immigration, Customs and Quarantine Complex is progressing well, with superstructure works now at 90% completion, while facade installation is slated to begin in September 2025. 'As per the terms of the bilateral agreement, the next key milestone will be the dynamic testing of the RTS train system, scheduled for May 2026. 'This critical phase will see the train operating along the full alignment from the Wadi Hana Depot through to the stations, paving the way for operational validation and readiness.'
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Free Malaysia Today
Full VEP enforcement at Johor border begins tomorrow
Failure to comply may result in vehicles being barred from exiting Malaysia until the fine is paid and the VEP tag is activated. (Bernama pic) JOHOR BAHRU : Singaporean vehicles entering Malaysia without a valid vehicle entry permit (VEP) from tomorrow will be subject to an immediate RM300 fine as full enforcement of the VEP system at the Malaysia-Singapore land border comes into effect. The enforcement is in accordance with Section 66H(7) of the Road Transport Act 1987 (Act 333), which makes it an offence for any foreign-registered vehicle to enter or remain in Malaysia without a valid permit. On June 4, transport minister Loke Siew Fook said the VEP system was crucial not only for managing cross-border traffic but also for improving the enforcement of traffic laws on foreign vehicles. Failure to comply may result in the vehicle being barred from exiting Malaysia until the fine is paid and the VEP tag is activated. All foreign vehicles entering Malaysia via the Johor Causeway and Second Link must register at pay a RM10 fee for a radio frequency identification (RFID) VEP sticker, valid for five years, and pay a RM20 road charge for each entry. According to the official website, each registered vehicle will receive a non-transferable RFID tag with a unique identification code, valid for five years. For private vehicle owners who have only completed pre-registration, a summons will be issued and the vehicle will not be allowed to leave Malaysia until payment is made. For company-owned vehicles, a notice will be issued if only the pre-registration is completed, while compounds will be imposed for those with no registration at all. Compounds can only be paid via cashless methods at road transport department (JPJ) counters, mobile JPJ trucks, or online platforms such as MyEG. The transport ministry said the VEP system had been implemented in phases since Oct 1, 2024. Reminders were issued to Singaporean vehicle owners who had not registered. As of June 2, a total of 231,018 VEP stickers had been issued to Singaporean private and company-owned vehicles. However, only 194,507 stickers were installed and activated, while 36,511 stickers (about 15.8%) remain inactive. Between Oct 1, 2024 and May 31, 2025, authorities inspected 52,012 vehicles, issuing 2,245 reminder notices to owners who had yet to complete the activation process.
Free Malaysia Today
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Free Malaysia Today
Summonses issued to company, not drivers, Loke tells KDEB
Transport minister Loke Siew Fook said that owners must take responsibility when their vehicles are issued traffic summonses. KUALA LUMPUR : Companies operating commercial vehicles must bear the responsibility when their vehicles are slapped with traffic summonses, says transport minister Loke Siew Fook. This comes after KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd, a solid waste management company owned by the Selangor government, blamed its 22,017 outstanding summonses on its drivers' failure to hand them over. 'Summonses are summonses. The operating permit is issued to KDEB, not the drivers. When the vehicle is slapped with a summons, the owner has to take responsibility. 'How they manage their drivers is an internal matter,' Loke said at a press conference here. He added that it was up to KDEB to determine how it planned to pay the unpaid summonses. Yesterday, the minister revealed that 11 commercial vehicle operators had been found to have over 1,000 outstanding summonses, including 17 express bus companies with more than 200 each. KDEB topped the list with 22,017 active summonses for offences such as technical violations, driving without a valid licence, overloading, operating without a vehicle permit, and speeding. The companies were given 14 days to settle their outstanding summonses. KDEB managing director Ramli Tahir told FMT that the company owns nearly 1,400 lorries registered under its name, operated by subcontractors managing solid waste collection across Selangor. Ramli said the drivers who were issued summonses would usually hide them instead of passing them to the contractors or the company, leaving KDEB in the dark.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tony Pua returns to DAP leadership as disciplinary chief; Guan Eng joins Pakatan presidential council
KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 — DAP national adviser Lim Guan Eng is among eight party representatives appointed to the Pakatan Harapan (PH) Presidential Council, secretary-general Loke Siew Fook announced today. Loke said the appointments were decided after the party's Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting yesterday. The DAP party election in March saw a significant shift, with Lim, the incumbent chairman at the time, securing a CEC spot by a narrow margin, finishing 26th out of 30 available positions. Besides Lim, the other DAP representatives appointed to the PH Presidential Council are Loke, Gobind Singh Deo, Nga Kor Ming, Chong Chieng Jen, Syahredzan Johan, Teo Nie Ching, and Woo Kah Leong. Loke also announced that the CEC endorsed ten DAP members to be co-opted into the party's highest decision-making body. These co-opted members include Deputy Finance Minister Lim Hui Ying, former Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar, Bandar Kuching MP Dr. Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen, Kota Kemuning assemblyman V. Papparaidu, Buntong assemblyman M. Thulsi Thivani, and Stulang assemblyman Chen Kah Eng. Also appointed to the CEC are Penang Port Commission chairman Yeoh Soon Hin, former Paloh assemblyman Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali, Kuala Lumpur DAP Youth chief Yap Yee Vonne, and former CEC member Wu Him Ven. The CEC also agreed to appoint former Damansara MP Tony Pua as DAP's disciplinary committee chairman and Ramkarpal Singh as the party's legal bureau chairman. Pua's new role marks his return to the party's central leadership after he failed to secure a spot in the CEC in 2022 and subsequently sat out the 15th general election. Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai was appointed the party's second adviser, following Lim Guan Eng, while Chong Chieng Jen was named DAP's parliamentary leader.
Daily Express
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Express
Summonses issued to company, not drivers, Loke tells KDEB
Published on: Thursday, June 26, 2025 Published on: Thu, Jun 26, 2025 By: Chia Wan Rou, FMT Text Size: Transport minister Loke Siew Fook said that owners must take responsibility when their vehicles are issued traffic summonses. Kuala Lumpur: Companies operating commercial vehicles must bear the responsibility when their vehicles are slapped with traffic summonses, says transport minister Loke Siew Fook. This comes after KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd, a solid waste management company owned by the Selangor government, blamed its 22,017 outstanding summonses on its drivers' failure to hand them over. 'Summonses are summonses. The operating permit is issued to KDEB, not the drivers. When the vehicle is slapped with a summons, the owner has to take responsibility. 'How they manage their drivers is an internal matter,' Loke said at a press conference here. He added that it was up to KDEB to determine how it planned to pay the unpaid summonses. Yesterday, the minister revealed that 11 commercial vehicle operators had been found to have over 1,000 outstanding summonses, including 17 express bus companies with more than 200 each. KDEB topped the list with 22,017 active summonses for offences such as technical violations, driving without a valid licence, overloading, operating without a vehicle permit, and speeding. The companies were given 14 days to settle their outstanding summonses. KDEB managing director Ramli Tahir told FMT that the company owns nearly 1,400 lorries registered under its name, operated by subcontractors managing solid waste collection across Selangor. Ramli said the drivers who were issued summonses would usually hide them instead of passing them to the contractors or the company, leaving KDEB in the dark. * 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
