By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Oct 6: In a pointed response to recent remarks from Sarawak Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (LPKP) chairman Michael Kong, Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap has warned against what he calls ‘sound-bite policymaking’—making policies based on catchy, crowd-pleasing statements rather than solid data—in the push to raise permissible lorry weight limits on Sarawak’s roads.
According to a statement, Yap was referring to recent remarks by Kong accusing him of misunderstanding the issue of lorry weight limits and of misleading the public on Oct 3.
In retaliation, Yap highlighted that the LPKP may be pushing for regulatory changes without the necessary legal foundation, engineering verification, or enforcement readiness.
Yap said while he was in favour of efforts to modernise and strengthen Sarawak’s logistics and transport sector, any move to increase permissible lorry weights must be based on verified engineering data, gazetted regulations, and clear enforcement capacity.
“My original statement was clear—I questioned whether relevant authorities had done proper data analysis, risk assessment, and inter-agency coordination before suggesting an increase in permissible lorry weights.
“Responsible governance means asking hard questions before policies are changed, not rubber-stamping proposals because they sound popular. Sarawak deserves better than sound-bite policymaking,” he said.
He then added that if Kong believes roads could handle higher weights, he suggested that Kong should publish the Public Works Department (JKR) structural certification list showing every bridge and section certified to the Grade 1 standard, provide the legal amendment proposal to update the Weight Restriction Order 2003, and produce the JPJ Sarawak enforcement plan to ensure compliance.
“Until then, any claim that I ‘misled the public’ is baseless and politically motivated. I will continue to support initiatives that promote logistics efficiency, reduce transport costs, and enhance Sarawak’s competitiveness, but only if those initiatives are technically justified, legally sound, and operationally enforceable.
“Sarawakians deserve infrastructure policies grounded in evidence, not emotion,” he said.
In a Facebook post on Sept 30, Kong said that the Sarawak LPKP paid a courtesy call on Sarawak JKR director, Dr Cassidy Morris, which also included a call to revise the permitted weight limits for lorries in accordance with its own specifications.
On Oct 2, Yap, in a statement, said that the move was not ‘well thought out’, adding that Sarawak’s infrastructure is built for the people, and it is the responsibility of government and industry alike to ensure development does not compromise public safety or impose long-term costs on taxpayers.
Yap suggested balancing project efficiency with public safety through improved logistics planning—ensuring better coordination of delivery times and routes to ease congestion and reduce risks, and requiring suppliers and contractors to plan responsibly and absorb logistical challenges. — DayakDaily
