As part of an ongoing protest against the Road Transport Department’s (JPJ) enforcement over cargo overloading, several strike were organized over the previous week, disrupting logistics and supply chains, particularly on Malaysia’s east coast.
The strike, which will last until Sunday (22 October), organized by lorry drivers and operators in Pahang and Terengganu because they believe there are mistreatment concerning overloading issues. According to The Edge, this has disrupted supply systems for a week, affecting everything from building supplies to necessities like food and drink.
According to Jeff Teh, the Secretary General of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Trucking Association (SKLTA), they broadcasted the call for protest throughout the country. Because of varying opinions and a lack of shared sentiment, some association members have temporarily avoided servicing the East Coast region to prevent interpersonal conflicts among drivers.
In a separate statement, the Malaysia Trucking Federation (MTF) urged its members to continue their regular business and avoid any plans for protests by any parties because the organization would not support the cause.
The authorities’ recent crackdown on logistical vehicles sparked the protest, and JPJ and Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) nationwide implemented stricter enforcement measures.
This comes after recent catastrophic crashes involving overloaded truckers rocking the country. Consider the deadly collision that claimed two lives in Putrajaya on 20 September and involved 12 other vehicles and a truck that appeared overloaded. A second tragedy on 1 September involving a truck carrying building materials that collided with a Perodua Alza and three other vehicles in Segamat and killed a family of six also prompted a request for stricter enforcement against logistic operators and drivers.
The number of lorries and vehicles seized by enforcement agencies is increasing as authorities improve their operations to protect vulnerable road users. This puts pressure on logistics companies and their drivers when faced with heavy fines.
Following another strike by over 1,000 drivers at JPJ Kuala Terengganu on Sunday (15 October), some 500 truck drivers and operators gathered at JPJ Pahang’s office in Indera Mahkota, Kuantan, as well as at JPJ Ipoh, Perak.
According to Utusan, the organization behind the protest in Terengganu, Persatuan Pengusaha Kecil Kenderaan Perdagangan Pantai Timur, handed over a memo containing eight allegations about allegedly “rash” enforcement operations led by JPJ and PDRM that cost lorry operators and drivers their primary source of income.
Some of the allegations made by the group concern load limit exemption, reduced operating time, summons handouts to manufacturers and miners (consignors), increased rent for commercial vehicles, and the elimination of the demerit points system.
As the mobile weighing instruments used by JPJ officers to determine the cars’ cargo limits considered inaccurate, the protest groups are also requesting the government to alter the authorities’ enforcement SOP.
SKLTA and MTF support working effectively with the government to solve overloading problems.
“We also organised a press conference before, our call is for JPJ to consider abandoning mobile weighing facilities for trucks, because they seem less accurate and those permanent facilities that are built along the highways are more accurate, and we don’t mind heading there,” said Teh.
As part of an ongoing protest against the Road Transport Department’s (JPJ) enforcement over cargo overloading, several strike were organized over the previous week, disrupting logistics and supply chains, particularly on Malaysia’s east coast.