THE Road Safety Department is set to undergo a major revamp and could be absorbed into the Road Transport Department (RTD), said sources.

Sources told The Malaysian Insight Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong is expected to make an announcement on the revamp soon.

A state Road Safety Department director told The Malaysian Insight the revamp is being discussed.

“I can’t comment on this at the moment. It is still under discussion and an official announcement will be made soon,” said the director.

Another state director said the idea is not to shut down the department totally but to merge it with RTD and make it more effective.

“It is not a dissolution of the department but more of a merger. Let us wait for the announcement on or before May 1,” said the second state director.

Another state director also said the same, adding that an announcement is expected soon.

All three declined to be named as they are not authorised to speak on the matter.

Director-general of RTD Mohd Nasri Ishak, however, refused to comment on the matter.

“Sorry, nothing to say at the moment,” he said.

The Road Safety Department, with a manpower of 160, was established on September 15, 2004 and placed under the ministry. Its task is to increase the awareness of road users on the importance of safety and ultimately reduce deaths and injuries caused by traffic accidents.

It has, however, no enforcement powers.

The department is also the secretariat to the Road Safety Council of Malaysia.

News about the revamp comes at a time when Malaysia remains one of the top nations with road deaths. At present, an average of 18 deaths per day occur because of road accidents.

Former Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research chairman Lee Lam Thye said regardless of the plans the government has for the department, the move to create road-safety awareness must continue.

“It is not an issue of the department being shut down or not. What is important is that the advocacy, educational and awareness efforts to reduce road accidents must continue, right from schools.

“Even if they merge both departments, road safety advocacy must not be stopped,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

The Malaysian Insight understands that the revamp will affect the 160 personnel, including some contract employees absorbed from the Land Public Transport Commission, which was transformed to a much smaller Land Public Transport Agency in January last year.

However, it is learnt that not all 160 will be absorbed into RTD. Some will be moved to other departments within the ministry or placed in the Public Services Department pool. – April 30, 2020.