Latest news with #Lokman
The Star
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Drop in road accident, vehicle theft cases in 2024
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians' growing awareness of road safety and vehicle security has led to a decline in cases of both vehicle theft and traffic accidents in 2024, says the Vehicle Theft and Accident Reduction Council of Malaysia (Vtarec). Its chairman, Datuk Lokman Jamaan, said the number of road accidents reported by the insurance industry fell to 266,716 cases in 2024, from 299,657 in 2023, a decrease of just under 11%. He said the total cases involved 229,739 cars, 15,149 motorcycles and 21,828 commercial vehicles. He noted that the figures from the insurance industry were slightly less compared to statistics from the police in both years. 'This is because insurance industry statistics reflect claims made by vehicle owners whose vehicles are insured. 'Meanwhile, police statistics cover all accident cases, including those without insurance coverage,' he said during his speech at the launch of the council's public vehicle theft and road accident awareness campaign yesterday. On a similar note, Lokman said vehicle theft cases fell to 3,925 in 2024 from 4,370 in 2023. The vehicle theft cases included 1,771 private cars, 1,833 motorcycles and 321 commercial vehicles. Lokman warned that commercial vehicle thefts remained alarmingly high, driven by strong demand in illegal markets. 'As the next step, Vtarec will intensify collaboration with ministries, agencies and other stakeholders. 'This will include ramping up eradication efforts, preventive measures and interventions against vehicle theft syndicates, cloned vehicle syndicates and syndicates involved in the 'rebirthing of total lost vehicles' and 'cut cars',' he added.
The Star
28-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Vehicle thefts, traffic accidents declined by over 10% in 2024, says stakeholder group
KUALA LUMPUR: Cases of both vehicle theft and traffic accidents declined by over 10% in 2024 as more Malaysians wise up on road safety and vehicle security, says Vehicle Theft and Accident Reduction Council of Malaysia (VTAREC). VTAREC chairman Datuk Lokman Jamaan said the number of road accidents, based on insurance industry statistics, declined to 266,716 cases in 2024 from 299,657 cases in 2023, a decrease of just under 11%. He noted that the 266,716 cases in 2024 involved 229,739 private motorcars, 15,149 motorcycles, and 21,828 commercial vehicles However, he did note that the figures from the insurance industry were slightly less compared to statistics from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) in both years. 'This is because insurance industry statistics reflect claims made by vehicle owners whose vehicles are insured. 'Meanwhile, police statistics cover all accident cases, including those without insurance coverage,' he said in his speech at VTAREC's nationwide public vehicle theft and road accident awareness campaign 2025 launch on Wednesday (May 28). He attributed this positive news to more Malaysians becoming increasingly conscious of road safety and vehicle maintenance over the last year due to awareness efforts by VTAREC and the government as a whole. He then called on all Malaysians to continue this positive trend going forward by abiding by the traffic laws, driving cautiously and alert as well as maintaining both their personal health and vehicle fitness. 'By working together at all levels of society, we can reduce road accident rates and consequently the likelihood of fatal accidents occurring," he added. On a similarly positive note, Lokman also said that reported vehicle theft cases in 2024 had dropped to 3,925 compared to in 2023 which recorded 4,370 cases. He said of the almost 4,000 vehicle theft cases in 2024, 1,771 involved private motorcar theft, 1,833 motorcycle theft, and 321 commercial vehicle theft cases. Similarly, he said that the reduction in these cases was due to the cooperation and solid support of all parties, most importantly being the public's increased awareness on the importance of vehicle security. 'As the next step, VTAREC will also intensify collaboration with ministries, agencies, and other related stakeholders. 'This will include stepping up eradication efforts, preventive measures, and intervention steps against vehicle theft syndicates, cloned vehicle syndicates as well as syndicates involving the 'Rebirthing of Total Loss Vehicles', and 'cut cars'. 'This increased cooperation will ensure more effective interventions can be implemented on the vehicle-related ecosystem to ensure this issue is addressed holistically and collectively,' he said. He added that VTAREC would also continue its awareness campaign efforts with the police and other non-governmental organisations due to its notable success over the last year.
New Straits Times
28-05-2025
- General
- New Straits Times
UTM's student-led cat neutering drive tackles stray surge
JOHOR BARU: Nineteen stray cats were neutered under a student-driven initiative at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), which was aimed at controlling the surging feline population on campus. The Catch-Neuter-Return (CNR) campaign was organised by UTM's Language Academy, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. The academy's student Lokman Hafiz Asary, who is also the programme director said the campaign dubbed Snip to Save Paw-sitive, was launched in response to a spike in abandoned and pregnant cats spotted across UTM grounds. The CNR campaign, backed by Language Academy chair Professor Madya Dr Hadina Habil, is part of a larger corporate social responsibility programme to educate the UTM community about responsible animal welfare. Commenting on recent cases of animal abuse on campus grounds nationwide, Lokman said neutering alone may not stop such cruelty, but it is a crucial first step in tackling stray overpopulation, - a key trigger in many abuse incidents. "At UTM, our programme goes beyond population control. It raises awareness, educates communities, and fosters a culture of empathy and responsibility," he said. UTM's holistic approach, he added, creates safer spaces for animals, while it reflects UTM's broader mission to humanise individuals through compassion, ethical conduct, and social responsibility. "Feeding and neutering alone will not fix this. It's our duty to educate the students that overpopulation of stray cats on campus grounds could lead to culling and abuse," Lokman said. He also founded the LA Pawrents, a WhatsApp group that sparked the project. The group of student volunteers began by mapping out unneutered cats, with a focus on females. They were trained to identify signs of prior sterilisation before trapping the animals. The cats were then transported to Noah's Ark Animal Clinic for the procedure, in collaboration with Noah's Ark Natural Animal Shelter. Beyond the neutering exercise, awareness sessions and poster campaigns were held to sensitise the campus to the needs and rights of stray animals. A workshop titled "Young Creators: Using AI & Canva to create children's Books" was also organised to introduce creative ways to embed animal welfare messages into children's media. "This is not a one-man show. We need the community to step up," Lokman said.
New Straits Times
29-04-2025
- Automotive
- New Straits Times
From 40,000 to 4,000: Massive drop in vehicle thefts over 10 years
KUALA LUMPUR: Vehicle thefts have dropped by 90 per cent over the past decade — from nearly 40,000 cases to around 4,000. Vehicle Theft and Accident Reduction Council of Malaysia (VTAREC) chairman Datuk Lokman Jamaan said data from the insurance industry showed only 4,000 cases were reported last year, a significant decline from the 38,000 cases recorded in 2013. He said in the past, a vehicle was stolen every 15 minutes — but today, it happens only once every two hours, reflecting a significant improvement in prevention efforts. Lokman said the success of the council and its stakeholders in reducing vehicle theft has earned them a new mandate — to help reduce road accidents. "We are pleased to share that VTREC has now been entrusted with another important role — to assist in reducing the rate of road traffic accidents in Malaysia. "In line with this, the name Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia (VTREC) was officially changed in the second week of April 2025 to Vehicle Theft and Accident Reduction," he said, during VTREC's 2025 Hari Raya Aidilfitri Celebration and Media Appreciation Ceremony. Lokman also shared hopes that VTAREC, which turns 18 tomorrow (April 30), would continue to achieve greater success for the well-being of all Malaysians. VTAREC also took the opportunity to honour members of the media at the event. Lokman said the Anugerah Menyantuni Rakan Media is the first appreciation event organised by VTAREC to honour media practitioners who have played a significant role in promoting awareness about the importance of vehicle protection. Media Prima deputy group managing editor for News & Current Affairs and New Straits Times group editor Farrah Naz Karim was among those recognised at the event. Also honoured was New Straits Times deputy group editor Sharanjit Singh Tara Singh. Both awards were received on their behalf by Business Times news editor Sharenjeet Kaur Saran Singh. Other recipients included NST specialist writer Aliza Shah, journalist Iylia Marsya Iskandar, and Harian Metro journalist Mohd Haris Fadli Mohd Fadzil. Lokman said amid today's challenges, the most important and fundamental priority is to continue building, maintaining, and nurturing a strong partnership between VTAREC and the media. "I believe that through a symbiotic relationship between VTAREC and the media, we can develop more efficient communication teams in handling information. "With a strong relationship in place, VTAREC can provide accurate and clear explanations through the mass media so the public can better understand issues related to vehicle theft and road traffic accidents in our country," he said.
