Latest news with #UN-approved
The Sun
14-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Lives lost, lessons learned: Call for safer transport of enforcement personnel
KUALA LUMPUR: The recent crash involving a Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) truck in Teluk Intan, which claimed multiple lives, has reignited concerns about the safety of vehicles used to transport enforcement personnel. Experts are now calling for a thorough overhaul of fleet management, vehicle standards, and policy enforcement across government transport systems. Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, a member of the National Road Safety Council, stated that while existing laws and industry codes regulate the transportation of heavy goods, enforcement remains lacking. 'We have regulations for overloading, cargo securing, and driver training, but hazardous goods are largely overlooked. Only bulk transport, such as petroleum tankers, is adequately covered. Non-bulk dangerous cargo remains largely unregulated,' he said. He urged the government to adopt Protocol 9 under the ASEAN Framework Agreement on the Facilitation of Goods in Transit (AFGAGIT), in line with UN-approved ADR specifications, to address this regulatory gap. Lee also highlighted the need for competency-based training. 'Drivers should undergo Dangerous Goods Driver Training (DGDT), a five-day course under the ADR framework. This is not yet mandatory in Malaysia, as the adoption of ADR in the non-petroleum sector is still in its infancy,' he noted. On accident prevention, Lee pointed to the SPAD Industry Code of Practice (ICOP), which mandates the use of GPS and telematics in heavy vehicles to monitor driver behaviour. 'Transporters must track speed, harsh braking, and acceleration daily. These systems are not just tools—they're essential safeguards,' he emphasised. Although mechanical failures are rare, Lee stressed that they still pose a risk. 'Human error is the primary cause of accidents, but issues like burst tyres or brake failure can still occur. These can be avoided with daily inspections and proper maintenance.' Meanwhile, MIROS chairman Professor Dr Wong Shaw Voon argued that transport safety should be viewed holistically. It's not just about upgrading vehicles; the system—comprising vehicles, drivers, roads, and management—must be properly coordinated. 'Transporting goods and people on the road carries inherent risks. To manage these, we must consider lorry and bus operators, logistics companies, and those responsible for managing government vehicles, including the FRU,' he said. Wong also commented on the suitability of FRU trucks, which often lack seatbelts or structural protection. 'These are special-purpose vehicles, not standard trucks designed to carry goods like sand or heavy materials, with people placed inside. Ideally, a bus would be the safest option, as it is specifically engineered to protect passengers.' While acknowledging that FRU trucks may also transport weapons and equipment, he stressed the need for management to reassess safety practices and ensure continuous improvements. 'If given the chance, we could uncover valuable findings. But what's more crucial is what we do moving forward. Even without all the details, we must not let these fatalities go without learning from them. This tragedy should serve as a lesson to prevent similar incidents, particularly one with such heavy casualties,' he said. Wong urged organisations to adopt structured road safety management frameworks, such as ISO 39001. 'For organisations unsure how to manage safety, frameworks like these provide useful guidelines.'
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Extreme brutality': UN, aid groups warn Haiti unrest soaring
Haiti has seen a "wave of extreme brutality" in recent weeks, with numerous killings and thousands forced to flee their homes, a consortium of UN agencies, NGOs and donors is warning. "Entire families have been brutally wiped out in their homes, while others, including children and babies, have been shot dead as they tried to escape," the group, organized by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said in a statement Monday. Gangs control large portions of Haiti, including the majority of the capital, and violence has soared despite the arrival of hundreds of police personnel as part of a Kenya-led multinational security support mission (MSS). "We are deeply alarmed and dismayed by the unacceptable and inhuman intensity of the violence raging in Haiti, a wave of extreme brutality which, since the end of January, has resulted in the loss of many lives," the group said. It said 4,000 people had been forced to flee the Kenscoff area of the capital, along with 2,000 more from the Delmas, Port-au-Prince and Petion-ville municipalities. The group called on "all parties involved in this violence to break this cycle of terror and put an end to this uncontrolled spiral." Fresh attacks occurred late Monday nights, said residents of two neighborhoods in the capital. "They set fire to our house with my father inside. It's cruel," a resident who managed to flee the area told AFP. Another said the attack came early in the morning as vigilante security forces were resting. "The bandits attacked us by surprise," she said. Haiti, the poorest nation in the Americas, has long been mired in instability, but conditions severely worsened early last year when gangs launched coordinated attacks in the capital to force then-prime minister Ariel Henry to resign. He handed power to an interim government, which along with the MSS has struggled to wrest back control from the gangs. The UN-approved MSS has around 1,000 personnel from six nations, though mostly from Kenya, out of 2,500 initially expected. One Kenyan officer died after being shot on Sunday. UN officials have repeatedly called for more support for the mission and a surge of resources to the nation, where an estimated one million people have been displaced by the violence. Last week, the UN launched an appeal for over $900 million in aid for Haiti this year, a sharp increase from 2024, which was only 44-percent funded. The UN recorded 5,600 deaths linked to gang violence last year, in a 20-percent increase compared to 2023, as well as 1,500 kidnappings, nearly 6,000 gender-based violence cases, 69 percent of which were instances of sexual assault. On Monday, Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime said authorities were "at war" with the gangs. "We are relentlessly committed to enabling the police, the army and MSS to put gangs out of action," he promised in a speech to mark his 100 days in office. str-abo/aem/des/md
