SHAH ALAM – A loose truck tyre on the North-South Highway near the Ayer Keroh Rest and Service Area (R&R) caused chaos in the predawn hours last week, resulting in a tragic collision that claimed seven lives.
The devastating incident involved a lorry, a trailer, an express bus, and two cars, starkly highlighting the nation’s worsening road safety crisis, where commercial interests increasingly jeopardise public safety.
Rising fatalities involving lorries
Police statistics reveal that 825 lorries were involved in fatal road accidents this year, resulting in 5,364 deaths in just the first 10 months.
Following the recent tragedy, social media users exposed businesses renting tyres to heavy vehicles to help them pass inspections at the Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centre (Puspakom). Once inspections were completed, these vehicles would revert to unsafe, worn-out tyres, a practice endangering other road users.
Illegal practices under scrutiny
Road Transport Department (RTD) Senior Enforcement Director Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan when contacted confirmed that investigations uncovered the use of tyre-related ‘cosmetic agents’ to manipulate Puspakom inspections.
He, however, said that enforcement falls under the jurisdiction of the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDN) as RTD’s authority is limited to road safety and vehicles on the road.
"As part of our efforts, we have conducted intelligence operations to pinpoint the workshops or tyre shops engaging in this activity.
"However, enforcement falls under the jurisdiction of the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDN). While our authority is limited to road safety and vehicles, we will collaborate with KPDN to conduct raids on the implicated businesses,” he told Sinar Daily.
Kifli further stressed that the practice is highly irresponsible and reckless, putting road users' lives in grave danger for the sake of profit.
He said that such actions undermine public safety and RTD would not tolerate them.
He added that RTD had launched a broader initiative to tackle the problem, starting with operations conducted yesterday.
"We plan to carry out similar operations regularly and extend our focus to problematic Puspakom inspection centres. This is a long-term effort, and we are committed to addressing the issue consistently,” he added.
As an enforcement agency, he said RTD has pledged to take strict and decisive action against individuals or businesses compromising public safety.
Kifli also revealed plans to work closely with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to identify and take action against those promoting or participating in these illegal practices online.
He emphasised that ensuring the safety of road users was their top priority and they would spare no effort in addressing this issue.
"Drastic and firm action will be taken against these businesses,” he warned.
Social media outrage
The revelations sparked frustration on social media.
One user on the X platform, @thefaizzainal, shared their concern: "It's crazy to the point where they rent tyres just to pass Puspakom. Until now, I’m still afraid to drive near trucks. If I can, I try to stay as far away as possible."
The user was commenting on the irresponsible individuals promoting their illegal tire rental business to pass Puspakom and thanking them for choosing tire rentals.
Puspakom is a government-mandated vehicle inspection service in Malaysia, ensuring vehicles meet safety and environmental standards.
It is required for purposes such as annual inspections, vehicle ownership transfers, and checking modifications.
On the revelation, Puspakom chief executive officer Mahmood Razak Bahman said the centre had no power to act against owners of commercial vehicles who rent tyres from ‘cosmetic agents’ but welcomed action from the RTD to eradicate such activity.
He reportedly said Puspakom does not compromise in its vehicle inspections and that over 220,000 out of 2.8 million commercial vehicles failed Puspakom inspections every year.
Yesterday, RTD carried out spot checks dubbed ‘Op Mengejut Puspakom’ at inspection centres nationwide to ensure vehicle safety standards were upheld.
The operation was unannounced, following Transport Minister Anthony Loke's instructions.
During the two-hour operation, RTD officers had inspected 115 lorries, issued 69 summonses, took action on 29 vehicles, and seized seven vehicles, including five cars and two lorries.
In addition to that, RTD officers had also identified issues such as unsafe retreaded tyres prone to blowouts being given the greenlight at Puspakom.
Following the operation, Mahmood confirmed that any staff involved in misconduct would face disciplinary action and expressed full cooperation with RTD to ensure compliance with inspection standards.