KUALA LUMPUR: The Transport Ministry (MOT) has been urged to take all necessary measures to expedite the establishment of the Malaysian Transport Safety Board (MTSB), a move deemed crucial to enhancing transportation safety across all modes in the country.
Alliance for a Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the formation of the MTSB should not be compromised by bureaucratic delays or a lack of political will, as every day of delay potentially puts lives at risk.
“The safety of passengers, whether in marine, pipeline, rail, air or land transport, is of paramount importance; thus, the Ministry of Transport should provide a clear and definitive timeline for the establishment of the MTSB.
“We need to know when this board will be fully operational, staffed with qualified experts and empowered to conduct thorough and impartial investigations.
“The public deserves assurance that this initiative will not suffer further delays. It is time to prioritise transportation safety and ensure that lessons are learned from every accident to prevent future tragedies,” he said in a statement today.
On Wednesday, Transport Minister Anthony Loke told the Dewan Rakyat that the ministry is considering a proposal to establish the MTSB, a special body tasked with investigating road accidents in the country.
He said the proposal follows recommendations made by a special task force set up by the ministry to investigate the fatal accident involving members of the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) in Teluk Intan, as well as a tour bus crash carrying students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) in Gerik, Perak, earlier this year.
Lee noted that many countries have independent transport safety boards, such as Canada’s Transportation Safety Board (TSB), Australia’s Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), the Dutch Safety Board (DSB), and the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
These bodies, he said, play a vital role in improving safety by identifying systemic issues and promoting best practices.
“For years, advocates and experts have stressed the critical need for an independent body to investigate and analyse transportation accidents across all modes – road, air and sea- but the fundamental question that must be asked is why has it taken so long? It has been 11 years since the tragic Genting bus crash in 2014, which claimed 37 lives.
“In the aftermath of that devastating event, an independent advisory panel, which I chaired, presented 51 recommendations, including the urgent establishment of a Safety Board, and the then-Minister agreed to its formation. Yet, for over a decade, this critical initiative has languished,” he said. – Bernama