PUTRAJAYA, Nov 11 (Bernama) -- The Road Transport Department (JPJ) and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) must continue to intensify efforts to improve road safety, particularly by taking firm action against offences that endanger the lives of road users, said former Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
He said JPJ must maintain strict enforcement against overloaded vehicles, illegal racing and speeding, regardless of any changes in leadership at the Transport Ministry (MOT).
"The fight against overloaded vehicles is not the agenda of any individual or minister but a national mission that must continue because it concerns human safety and lives.
"I want JPJ to prove them wrong. The war against overloading, with or without me, must continue," he said at the ministry’s monthly assembly here today.
Loke, who is also DAP secretary-general, said legal amendments relating to such offences had already been enacted, while enforcement powers had been conferred on JPJ officers.
As such, he said, there was no reason for the department not to take firm action.
Loke arrived at the ministry's lobby at 10.04 am to attend the assembly for the final time following his resignation, which took effect yesterday.
The development follows a Kuala Lumpur High Court decision ordering former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to serve the remainder of his prison sentence in the SRC International Sdn Bhd case under house arrest at his residence in Langgak Duta, with immediate effect.
Meanwhile, Loke expressed hope that MIROS would continue to contribute its expertise and research to assist the ministry in strengthening road safety measures.
He said the tragic bus accident involving students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), which claimed several lives, as well as an accident involving members of the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU), had left a profound emotional impact on him.
He added that the two tragedies, which occurred within a relatively short period, had prompted the ministry to step up efforts to introduce policy changes, implement new initiatives and strengthen road safety measures.
"Road safety should not be viewed as an issue concerning a particular minister or as a political matter. It is about human lives," he said.
He also expressed hope that road safety would remain a priority for the ministry under future leadership, regardless of who held the portfolio.
-- BERNAMA