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LAWMAKERS in Malaysia’s Dewan Rakyat will today focus on pressing issues of road safety, logistics enforcement and the country’s international trade commitments, as the current parliamentary sitting enters its second week.
Among the topics, Tenggara MP Manndzri Nasib is scheduled to question the Works Minister on the implementation of smart lanes, including the safety monitoring mechanisms, law enforcement measures and the use of technology to ensure the initiative does not inadvertently increase the risk of road accidents, according to Bernama.
The immediate enforcement of the overloaded lorry policy by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) will also be scrutinised. Ayer Hitam MP Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong is expected to ask the Transport Minister about the policy’s effects on the supply chain, logistics costs and the cost of living, and why the measure has been implemented without a reasonable transition period since October 2025.
Trade policy will feature prominently, with Larut MP Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin seeking clarification from the Investment, Trade and Industry Minister regarding Malaysia’s obligations under the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART). He will question the government’s justification for proceeding with the ART, despite some Southeast Asian countries choosing not to participate.
Meanwhile, Batang Lupar MP Mohamad Shafizan Kepli is slated to raise questions with the Women, Family and Community Development Minister on the Social Welfare Department’s criteria for reassessing eligibility and tightening monthly welfare aid for existing recipients.
Following the oral questions, the Dewan Rakyat will proceed with the debate on the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address. The current parliamentary sitting is scheduled for 20 days, concluding on March 3.
Separately, MPs were told that Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) issued 1,488 compounds to litter offenders in 2025 during 86 Ops Anti-Litter operations, which focused on public and tourist-heavy areas such as Bukit Bintang, Jalan Ampang, Dataran Merdeka and commercial hubs, as well as locations where betel leaf chewing by foreigners was common.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh explained that enforcement officers operate on-site with handheld devices to issue fines, and that no cash payments are involved.
She added that 5,000 CCTVs are installed across Kuala Lumpur for traffic management, with 2,000 equipped with AI to monitor vehicle movement, cement lorry spills, garbage accumulation and criminal incidents. A further 231 CCTVs specifically detect rubbish piles.
Yeoh’s comments were made in response to Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa (PH-Sekijang), who asked about the effectiveness of digital monitoring infrastructure and enforcement in controlling littering and spitting during Visit Malaysia Year 2026.
From January 1, anyone caught littering or spitting in public spaces in the capital faces fines up to RM2,000, along with more than 12 hours of community service over six months, underscoring the government’s drive to maintain urban cleanliness. - January 21, 2026