JPJ’s firm enforcement must outlast ministerial changes, says Loke
JPJ’s firm enforcement must outlast ministerial changes, says Loke
Former transport minister says some parties were pleased with his departure, believing they could resume overloading vehicles without facing strict enforcement.
Loke said some parties had welcomed his resignation because they believed enforcement against overloaded vehicles would be relaxed following his departure.
“I’m aware that when I announced my resignation, some people cheered. Some were very happy because they thought the minister who refused to compromise and interfered with their operations was finally gone.
“They thought they could go back to overloading their vehicles as they did before. I want JPJ to prove them wrong,” he said at the transport ministry’s monthly assembly and Deepavali celebration here today.
He said the crackdown must continue with or without him, stressing that JPJ already had the necessary legal powers to act against overloading and other issues, including illegal racing.
He recalled the June 2025 bus crash in Gerik that killed 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris students and the May 2025 collision in Teluk Intan that claimed the lives of nine Federal Reserve Unit personnel, saying both tragedies had deeply affected him.
“Those two accidents happened within two or three weeks of each other. They had a profound impact on me because I felt very guilty. Why couldn’t we prevent incidents like these from happening?” he said.
On Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB), he said the railway operator had recorded sharp increases in revenue, passenger numbers and cargo volumes, although it had yet to become profitable overall.
He credited improvements in management and ticketing for the increases and hoped KTMB could eventually become profitable, with its earnings benefitting employees.
Maritime law reforms
Loke expressed hope that proposed amendments to Malaysia’s maritime laws, which have not undergone a comprehensive review for decades, could be brought to Parliament as early as December.
“The process has already begun, and the amendments need to be brought to Parliament. When they are brought to Parliament, I will no longer be the one presenting the bill, but I will debate it instead,” he said.
Loke’s resignation took effect yesterday after the High Court allowed former prime minister Najib Razak to serve the remainder of his SRC International prison sentence under house arrest.
He stressed that politicians must keep their word to maintain public trust, even if it means losing their positions. “To me, a position can be lost, but credibility must be maintained,” he added.
When asked whether he would reconsider his resignation given Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s wish for him to remain in office, Loke maintained that his resignation had already taken effect.
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