PUTRAJAYA: There will be no more official launching of road safety campaigns during the festival seasons, says Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

The Transport Minister said the operation would go on minus the launch to rid the public mindset that road safety is only paramount during festival periods,

He said doing away with the official launches would save money as each launch cost the ministry up to RM200,000.

"What the ministry must focus on is the substance and not the form. All these official launches are unnecessary.

"Do not get me wrong - the enforcement will go on and such operations to uphold road safety will continue during festivals, just without the official launch (ceremony).

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"I do not find such a ceremony meaningful as we can also send out the message through the media," Loke told reporters after delivering a 2024 New Year Mandate to the staff of the ministry on Friday (Jan 12).

He said the money meant for the launch event can be channeled for more meaningful safety initiatives for the masses such as the exchange for new motorcycle helmets.

"Thousands have come to exchange their used helmets for new ones every time we conduct the initiative. Sometimes, the used helmets are in a terribly-worn condition," he said.

The minister, however, said the private sectors could carry on with the road safety campaign using their own funds.

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Earlier in his speech, Loke said safety is a culture the ministry must embrace as it not only affects others but also themselves.

"We have to change the way we campaign for safety," said Loke, pointing out that taking care of our own safety should not be seasonal.

He said the value of statistical life by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research in 2018 stated that each loss of life on the road is valued at RM3.18mil.

"This means that with the recorded number of deaths on the roads, our country loses RM56.15mil daily or RM21bil per year," Loke added.