Latest news with #PPBBM
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Name the leasers, don't point fingers, Loke tells bus group
Transport minister Loke Siew Fook said his ministry requires evidence to act, and that permit leasing is a private arrangement between permit holders and third parties. (Bernama pic) SHAH ALAM : Transport minister Loke Siew Fook today hit back at a bus operators' association for blaming the ministry over the widespread illegal leasing of express and tour bus permits. He said the association should have reported the issue or disclosed to the authorities the list of operators involved in license leasing. 'We need evidence. The association should have helped us by giving us or publicising the list of companies (involved in such leasing),' he told reporters after attending the launch of the speed limiter device initiative for commercial vehicles today. His comments come after the Malaysian Bumiputera Bus Operators' Association (PPBBM) claimed that permit leasing had been ongoing for years, but only came under the spotlight after the accident that killed 15 students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris. PPBBM reportedly said that permit leasing could cost as little as RM500 a month. Lokes said it was unfair to point fingers at his ministry, given that permit leasing was a private arrangement between permit holders and third parties. 'I have no problem being the 'bad guy' – just give me the list and I'll suspend them immediately,' he said. On a separate matter, Loke said the transport ministry was considering a complete overhaul of the Kejara demerit system, calling it a 'failure'. 'A major overhaul is needed because merit marks are only deducted after summonses are paid. The problem is that many people do not pay their summonses,' he said. On the mandatory installation of dashboard cameras, Loke said the government must engage with industry players to ensure a balanced policy approach. 'We also need to consider, for example, bus fares to ensure that operators are able to meet all of the requirements. 'Everything will be discussed. Any additional steps, conditions or methods of implementation will need to be introduced in stages,' he said.
Daily Express
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Express
Name the leasers, don't point fingers, Loke tells bus group
Published on: Friday, June 13, 2025 Published on: Fri, Jun 13, 2025 By: Chia Wan Rou, FMT Text Size: Transport minister Loke Siew Fook said his ministry requires evidence to act, and that permit leasing is a private arrangement between permit holders and third parties. (Bernama pic) SHAH ALAM: Transport minister Loke Siew Fook today hit back at a bus operators' association for blaming the ministry over the widespread illegal leasing of express and tour bus permits. He said the association should have reported the issue or disclosed to the authorities the list of operators involved in license leasing. Advertisement 'We need evidence. The association should have helped us by giving us or publicising the list of companies (involved in such leasing),' he told reporters after attending the launch of the speed limiter device initiative for commercial vehicles today. His comments come after the Malaysian Bumiputera Bus Operators' Association (PPBBM) claimed that permit leasing had been ongoing for years, but only came under the spotlight after the accident that killed 15 students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris. PPBBM reportedly said that permit leasing could cost as little as RM500 a month. Lokes said it was unfair to point fingers at his ministry, given that permit leasing was a private arrangement between permit holders and third parties. 'I have no problem being the 'bad guy' – just give me the list and I'll suspend them immediately,' he said. On a separate matter, Loke said the transport ministry was considering a complete overhaul of the Kejara demerit system, calling it a 'failure'. 'A major overhaul is needed because merit marks are only deducted after summonses are paid. The problem is that many people do not pay their summonses,' he said. On the mandatory installation of dashboard cameras, Loke said the government must engage with industry players to ensure a balanced policy approach. 'We also need to consider, for example, bus fares to ensure that operators are able to meet all of the requirements. 'Everything will be discussed. Any additional steps, conditions or methods of implementation will need to be introduced in stages,' he said. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
Horrific Gerik crash exposes dark truth behind bus permit leasing
KOTA BARU: Thousands of express and tour buses are operating illegally nationwide using leased permits, a practice that contravenes the Land Public Transport Act 2010, the Bumiputera Express Bus Operators Association of Malaysia (PPBBM) said. PPBBM chairman Zainal Abidin Mehat said the issue of leasing public transport bus permits has been ongoing for some time. However, it only came to light following the recent fatal crash involving a tour bus carrying students from Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI) along the East–West Highway near Gerik, which claimed 15 lives. Zainal said some bus operators conduct business without any valid permit by purchasing second-hand buses and operating them under permits obtained from various other companies. This, he said, is because many bus operators, most of whom are former bus drivers, are unwilling to apply for permits due to the high upfront cost and the numerous procedures required by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) or the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD). "There are even companies that own dozens or hundreds of permits and take advantage by leasing them out, whether for express or tour buses, at a rate of RM500 per month per permit, raking in tens of thousands of ringgit monthly," he said. Zainal said that the practice of leasing express and tour bus permits has been going on for years. "I often receive complaints about this issue, but it remains unresolved because there is both supply and demand in the permit leasing market. "The modus operandi involves bus operators purchasing second-hand buses over 10 years old for between RM70,000 and RM100,000, repainting them to appear new and attractive, and using them as tour or express buses. "To avoid dealing directly with APAD or MOTAC, they simply lease permits from companies offering such services, paying RM500 a month," he told Berita Harian. Zainal said that due to high demand, some bus companies that have more than 100 express or tour bus permits lease out nearly all of them. These companies retain only a few permits for their own use to avoid detection. "Imagine a company with 100 permits earning RM500 per permit every month, they can easily make tens of thousands of ringgit monthly," he said. Jega AFP, [13/6/2025 10:58 AM] He added that many of those leasing permits are former bus drivers who, after saving up some money, venture into bus operations. "They lack the proper knowledge to become legitimate operators and are only chasing fast money, with little concern for the safety of future passengers. "If the fatal crash on the Gerik-Jeli road hadn't occurred, this issue might never have been exposed, even though in reality it involves thousands of buses across the country. "They're also crafty, during APAD enforcement operations, these buses are kept off the road temporarily to avoid detection for operating under permits belonging to other companies. "That's why sometimes you'll see one company name on the bus body and another on the permit," he said. He urged the government to take firmer and more drastic action against bus operators using leased permits. "We welcome the move by the Transport Ministry to revoke the licences of bus companies found to have leased out their permits," he said. On Monday, fifteen undergraduate students were killed in an accident when the bus they were travelling in rear-ended a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) along the East–West Highway in Gerik. The bus then flipped onto its left side and came to rest against the metal guardrails. Transport Minister Anthony Loke said during a press conference on Wednesday that all permits held by the He said the company had committed two serious offences namely leasing its permits to third parties and failing to install and activate the Global Positioning System (GPS).
