Kuching: Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen will submit a memorandum and petition from local towing and recovery operators to the relevant Federal Ministers, seeking practical, fair, and reasonable policies that better reflect the operating realities of the towing industry in Sarawak.
The move comes after more than 20 local towing and recovery operators met with Chong recently to express their deep concerns about the mounting challenges facing their industry and to appeal to him to bring their grievances to the attention of the Federal Government.
After listening to the operators, Chong said he agreed that while road safety policies are important, they must also take into account the practical realities faced by different industries and regions.
“Policies formulated at the federal level should not adopt a one-size-fits-all approach without meaningful consultation with the affected stakeholders,” he said.
Chong said he would submit the operators’ memorandum and petition, together with their concerns regarding diesel subsidies and the mandatory Speed Limitation Device (SLD) policy, to the relevant Federal Ministers.
He said the operators had highlighted two major issues that are placing tremendous financial pressure on the industry.
“Firstly, despite relying heavily on diesel for their daily operations, towing companies are excluded from the Subsidised Diesel Control System (SKDS), forcing them to purchase diesel at market prices. Secondly, the mandatory installation of SLDs has imposed substantial additional costs on operators who are already struggling with rising operating expenses.
The operators urged the Government to treat the towing industry fairly by automatically including it under the SKDS programme, allowing them to purchase subsidised diesel at RM2.15 per litre,” Chong said.
They also informed Chong that each SLD installation costs between RM2,000 and RM2,500 and questioned why they are required to install the devices only through designated companies when identical products are available online for only a few hundred ringgit.
“In addition, the devices must be re-certified every two years, creating further recurring costs,” Chong said.
Chong added that the operators had also raised concerns that the current implementation could eventually allow only a handful of designated companies to dominate the market, creating a monopoly that enables excessive profits at the expense of small businesses.
He added that the operators had complained that they are prohibited from installing their own GPS tracking systems and are instead required to use service providers appointed by the authorities, further increasing their operating costs.
“In addition, they raised concerns over what they described as overly rigid enforcement during vehicle inspections, particularly the reported prohibition on warning beacons and work lights that are essential for carrying out roadside recovery operations safely at night,” he said.
