KUCHING: LPKP Sarawak chairman Michael Kong has hit back at Kota Sentosa assemblyman Wilfred Yap’s statement on lorry weight limits, saying it was misleading, baseless, and showed a lack of understanding of the issue.
Kong said the matter of permissible lorry loads in Sarawak had long been discussed, with a key meeting held in Bintulu in February 2023 involving the Ministry of Transport Sarawak, JPJ Sarawak, JKR Sarawak, local councils and industry stakeholders.
“At that meeting, all parties agreed that weight limits could and should be increased, in line with JKR Sarawak’s specifications,” he said.
Kong explained that the upgrading of the Pan-Borneo Highway to Grade 1 standards, the same as in Peninsular Malaysia, had removed bottlenecks caused by older Grade 2 bridges. “To continue restricting lorries to outdated limits makes absolutely no sense,” he said.
He stressed that LPKP Sarawak had never called for a blanket increase on all roads, but only for adjustments in accordance with JKR-certified standards. Feeder and council roads remain under local authority control, and councils could impose restrictions by putting up signage such as “3T” or “5T,” which JPJ Sarawak would enforce.
“The real problem is that local councils often fail to put up proper signage in the first place,” Kong said, citing Jalan Kwong Thiong in Lotak Villas as an example.
On the technical side, he noted that lorry loads are already regulated by axles, with 5-axle and 6-axle lorries allowed to carry up to 45 and 50 tonnes respectively in Peninsular Malaysia. With Sarawak roads now upgraded to the same standards, he said there was no reason Sarawak should be left behind.
Kong questioned why Yap was objecting to allowing Sarawak to enjoy the same standards as Peninsular Malaysia, urging him to consult his SUPP colleague, Transport Minister Lee Kim Shin, before making statements.
“This issue is about facts, data, and technical standards, not cheap political soundbites,” he said, adding that LPKP Sarawak remained committed to strict enforcement against overloading while ensuring policies matched industry needs and JKR certifications.
“I urge Wilfred Yap to stop issuing statements containing misleading and untrue facts. His remarks do not help industry players, road users, or Sarawak. They only expose his lack of understanding of the real issues faced by Sarawakians,” Kong said.
By Connie Chieng