TRUCK operators across Malaysia have given Transport Minister Anthony Loke a 48-hour deadline to respond to a memorandum demanding a review of 26 key issues affecting the industry, following a peaceful solidarity rally at the gates of Parliament on Wednesday.
Datuk Dr Kalai Vanar, a social activist representing both the Malaysian Truck Operators Association and the Malaysian Truck Drivers Association, said the government must reconsider several road transport enforcement measures implemented by the Road Transport Department (JPJ), which he claimed have placed undue pressure on operators and drivers.
“Repeatedly, I have said we are not threatening anyone; we are here to deliver a memorandum. Why is it that a full minister, earning a substantial salary—more than RM60,000, I believe—does not come down to address us?
“I therefore give Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook 48 hours for a response. Truck operators are suffering; trucks are being seized, licences revoked. What kind of law is this? Laws that make no sense,” Dr Kalai told reporters after the submission.
Among the main issues raised in the memorandum, he said, were the demerit points system, employer permit summons, operational hours, weight limit alignment with cargo (BDM), height limit standardisation, and a call to reduce fines to the minimum rates currently imposed. The memorandum was received on behalf of the minister by Major (B) Adli Azmi Ahmat, Deputy Director of JPJ’s Enforcement Division (Operations Section).
Dr Kalai, who is also chairman of the Secretariat of National Loyalty (SBKN), stressed that the demonstration was not meant to oppose the government, but to urge the review of policies and regulations that he said burdened truck operators and drivers.
“We want the existing summonses against all truck drivers to be revoked. They should be given a chance to have their licences reinstated, and any payments can be made in instalments, not all at once,” he said, adding that if their demands were not addressed, larger rallies could follow.
“If our memorandum is not heeded, there will be a 2.0 gathering. Those who have guided us, we respect, and we have decorum; we will not overturn police vehicles or damage government property, but we have proper ways to make our voices heard,” he said.
The rally, which lasted approximately one hour, was conducted peacefully under strict security to prevent any untoward incidents, reflecting the groups’ intent to engage constructively with the authorities. - November 19, 2025
