KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — With Malaysia pressing ahead on major rail and transport projects like MRT3 and the wider expansion of its public transit network, industry experts are stressing that safety must come first — and not only during construction or after mishaps occur.
Transport and engineering professionals say safety must be embedded into every stage of infrastructure development, from initial design to long-term maintenance, to prevent avoidable tragedies and restore public trust.
“Safety should be embedded from the earliest design and planning stages, with proper risk assessment, redundancy in engineering controls, adherence to global safety standards, and continuous public engagement,” said Associate Professor Bernard Saw Lip Huat of Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman as quoted by online news website Scoop.
He issued a warning that overlooking safety considerations early on “can lead to devastating consequences in terms of human lives and public confidence.”
Transport consultant Rosli Azad Khan also shared similar concerns, saying safety must be a guiding principle at all levels of infrastructure development.
Associate Professor Wan Mazlina Wan Mohamed of the Malaysia Institute of Transport noted that Malaysia tends to prioritise building new infrastructure rather than maintaining existing ones — a tendency that could backfire if safety isn’t consistently monitored and funded.
“Investing in preventive maintenance is crucial for protecting lives. Well‑maintained infrastructure significantly reduces the risk of failures that could jeopardise public safety,” she said.
She called for the establishment of a dedicated infrastructure maintenance fund and suggested allocating 2.5 per cent of Malaysia’s GDP annually for this purpose.
The move, she said, would be consistent with global benchmarks for middle-income nations.
Incorporating data analytics and risk modelling would also help strengthen safety management, she added.
Former Prasarana Malaysia Bhd managing director and MRT Corp CEO Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar also weighed in, pointing out that safety isn’t only vital for transport systems, but also for utilities and public buildings.
His comments come amid renewed scrutiny of infrastructure safety following high-profile incidents such as last year’s Jalan Masjid India sinkhole, the collapse of scaffolding on the MRR2 flyover in 2021, and the 1988 disaster at the Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal in Butterworth, which killed 32 people.
