KUCHING: Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Kota Sentosa State assemblyman Wilfred Yap has urged caution and thorough study before any move to increase permissible lorry weight limits in Sarawak, saying such a decision must be supported by proper legal, technical and enforcement frameworks.
Responding to remarks by LPKP Sarawak chairman Michael Kong, Yap said his concern was not about resisting progress but about ensuring safety and regulatory integrity.
“I fully support efforts to modernize and strengthen Sarawak’s logistics and transport sector. However, any move to increase permissible lorry weights must be based on verified engineering data, gazetted regulations and clear enforcement capacity, not political convenience or assumptions,” he said.
Yap explained that his earlier comments were meant to urge the authorities to conduct proper data analysis, risk assessment and inter-agency coordination before making such changes.
“Responsible governance means asking tough questions before policies are changed. Sarawak deserves well studied and evidence based policymaking,” he said.
He added that if Michael Kong believes the state’s roads can safely accommodate heavier loads, LPKP Sarawak should publish the Public Works Department structural certification list of bridges and road sections certified to Grade 1 standard, provide the proposed amendment to the Weight Restriction Order 2003, and present the JPJ Sarawak enforcement plan to ensure compliance.
“Until these details are made available, any claim that I misled the public is unfounded,” Yap said.
He reaffirmed his support for initiatives that enhance logistics efficiency and reduce transport costs, provided that such measures are technically justified, legally sound and operationally practical.
“Sarawakians deserve infrastructure policies grounded in evidence, not emotion,” he said.
By Connie Chieng