Loke: JPJ’s war on overloading must continue even without me, as it involves human lives
Loke urged JPJ’s enforcement officers to take action against offences such as overloading, illegal racing, speeding to ensure better road safety, pointing out that the law has been amended to give JPJ enforcement powers over such offences. — Picture by Raymond Manuel
By Ida Lim
First Published: Wednesday, 11 Nov 2026 2:35 PM MYT
PUTRAJAYA, Nov 11 — In his parting words to the Transport Ministry, Anthony Loke today urged the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to continue its “war” against overloading in commercial vehicles even after he leaves as transport minister.
Loke, who effectively resigned as transport minister yesterday, noted that there would be people cheering and feeling happy that the minister who does not compromise against overloading or who was attempting to interfere with their livelihood (periuk nasi) has left.
“’The minister has berambus (gone off), we can overload again like in the past, no problem’,” he said in his 48-minute speech at the Transport Ministry here, as he described how overloaders would feel.
“I want JPJ to prove them wrong. This war on overloading will be continued, with or without me,” he said.
“I hope JPJ can fulfill this promise… Because this is a very important agenda, this is a very important national mission.
“This is not an issue of minister, this is an issue of human lives. This is not an issue of periuk nasi (livelihood), this is an issue of human lives,” he said.
Loke stressed that the Transport Ministry should continue to not only fight overloading of vehicles, but to also ensure road safety remains a key agenda, even after he ceases to be minister.
“There is nothing more important than human lives. So overloading must be fought, so I hope this strict enforcement can be continued, although I am no longer minister.
“Whoever becomes minister, whoever becomes JPJ director-general must continue this mission. Because to me, this is a responsibility, a mandate, a mission that must be carried out by the Transport Ministry and JPJ. Don’t delay in this matter, don’t soften in this matter, because this is very important for road safety,” he said.
Loke urged JPJ’s enforcement officers to take action against offences such as overloading, illegal racing, speeding to ensure better road safety, pointing out that the law has been amended to give JPJ enforcement powers over such offences.
He expressed support for JPJ’s efforts in eradicating these problems of overloading, speeding and illegal racing, which he said cause road accidents and deaths.
Looking back at his tenure as transport minister from December 2022 to yesterday, Loke said two fatal road accidents occurring within a span of a few weeks had gave him a huge psychological impact: “I feel very guilty, why we cannot avoid such an incident.
“Accidents do happen everyday, each fatal accident does give an impact on us. But when such major accidents happen in such a short time, so many innocent lives - youths, students - were taken just like that. Can we not do something to avoid a tragedy like that from happening? So that had an impact on me,” he said, adding that the ministry subsequently pursued multiple new road safety policies, initiatives and measures.
The two fatal accidents that Loke referred to was the June 9, 2025 express bus crash along the Gerik-Jeli East-West Highway (JRTB) where 15 students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) onboard died, and the May 13, 2025 collision between an overloaded truck and a Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) truck which resulted in nine FRU personnel’s deaths.
“This road safety issue, don’t see it as a minister issue or political issue, this is an issue of human lives. Whoever sits in this position must make road safety their main agenda, whatever we do in terms of policy, measures, law, must make it as one of the Transport Ministry’s main agenda,” he said.
“Because without road safety, I feel this is unforgiveable, if we don’t continue or don’t do it wholeheartedly. So I hope the road safety agenda continues to be a guide, a main agenda in the Transport Ministry in years to come,” he said.
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