19/05/2025

MONDAY | MAY 19, 2025

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Driver-screening ‘smart’ vehicles to boost road safety

Growing challenge of waste fires for firefighters

KOTA BHARU: Waste fires should not be treated as ordinary incidents as they pose serious health hazards and could even claim lives, making suppression efforts particularly challenging for the Fire and Rescue Department. Such fires often smoulder beneath piles of tyres and discarded plastics, producing thick smoke that remains a persistent threat to emergency responders and residents. When toxic waste is involved, the dangers multiply, with the resulting smoke capable of causing dizziness, nausea, vomiting and long-term health effects. Kelantan fire director Farhan Sufyan Borhan described waste fires as a systemic issue involving various types of waste, each under the purview of different agencies, such as the Department of Environment, Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB), Solid Waste Management and Public Cleansing Corporation and local authorities. “The four main categories are sewage, solid waste, both domestic and scheduled, radioactive waste and chemical waste. We step in when a fire breaks out and lives are at risk, but before and after that, other agencies must play their role,” he told Bernama recently. Under the National Security Council Directive No. 20, the fire department leads disaster response involving chemical, radiological, nuclear and hazardous materials, while AELB provides technical expertise in radiological and nuclear emergencies. Farhan said Kelantan recorded 207 waste related open burning cases last year out of 1,827 incidents overall, with waste collection sites posing significant risks when unfiltered waste is allowed to accumulate. “These are smouldering fires, slow-burning and hidden beneath piles of rubbish. They’re not easily visible but can spread without warning – that’s the real danger.” He added that extinguishing these fires is no simple task as it often requires moving waste piles using heavy machinery such as excavators and using large volumes of water. “Sometimes, a relay pumping operation from a nearby river is our only option. But we don’t own heavy machinery, so we have to rely on help from other agencies. “Many people are unaware that we are not a free service. There are limits and legal structures. Still, when lives are at stake, our team responds without hesitation.” He explained that the Hazardous Materials Unit would be deployed if the fire involved toxic or hazardous substances. KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 5,800 individuals were detected to be involved in drug abuse around the capital during the first three months of this year, marking a 13.8% drop compared with the same period last year. National Anti-Drug Agency director-general Datuk Ruslin Jusoh said current statistics in Kuala Lumpur show a drug and substance abuse rate of 253 addicts per 100,000 population. “The main drug category of choice is amphetamine-type stimulants, accounting for 65% or 3,768 individuals from January to March this year.” He was speaking during the KL Car Free Morning event held in conjunction with the 2025 Anti-Drug Day at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall Square yesterday. Over 1,000 participants took part in a five-kilometre run along the main roads around the capital. – Bernama Drug abuse in KL drops nearly 14%

o Deputy minister calls for inclusion of technology to lock ignition system if motorist detected to be drowsy, ill or impaired

said Malaysia recorded 134,206 road crashes and 1,050 fatalities. Fatigue and microsleep were identified by police as major contributors. He explained that fatigue is not only caused by overwork but could also stem from conditions such as sleep apnea, diabetes or unhealthy lifestyles. “Many Malaysians are unaware they have sleep disorders. A US study found individuals with sleep apnea are 123% more likely to be involved in road crashes. Even reducing sleep from eight to six hours raises crash risk by 33%.” Louis and his team have launched a world-first initiative – the Sleep and Fatigue Recovery and Management Programme – endorsed by the United Nations. The two-day programme, developed with support from the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, Human Resource Development Corporation and the Malaysia Productivity Corporation, includes medical sleep assessments, stress evaluations and aritificial intelligence (AI)-based microsleep detection. “Through AI and wearable medical devices, we can now predict health risks linked to poor sleep. For instance, if you’re consistently sleeping only four hours a night, you could develop hypertension in six months, diabetes in two years and potentially be involved in a microsleep-induced crash.” He stressed that while in-vehicle drowsiness detection systems are useful, public education on sleep health must remain the top priority. “I urge employers to introduce sleep health programmes for their workers. These initiatives not only support employee well-being but also qualify under sustainability and productivity frameworks.”

that could help mitigate human error, enhance vehicle safety and improve infrastructure. He added that technologies such as dashcams, advanced driver-assistance systems and telematics are empowering both enforcement agencies and road users to act more responsibly. “We’re laying the groundwork for the future rollout of an in-vehicle monitoring system. With the right safeguards, data from these systems can not only monitor behaviour but also help prevent crashes before they happen.” Reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to road safety, Hasbi urged the automotive industry to prioritise five-star-rated vehicles and adopt cutting-edge technologies, particularly in sandboxed testing zones that support micro-mobility solutions. At the event, Hasbi also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research and Alpha International Training and Consultancy to jointly develop road safety training programmes. Alpha International chief executive Prof Dr Louis Adaikalam, who also leads the Malaysia Sleep Apnea Association, said sleep-related health issues have reached alarming levels in the country. He cited a global analytics study showing nine in 10 Malaysians experience medical problems linked to poor sleep. He added that Malaysians juggling multiple jobs are particularly vulnerable to chronic sleep deprivation, putting them at risk of microsleep, a danger he described as comparable to driving under the influence. “Over one billion people globally suffer from sleep-related issues. In fact, the US has declared it a public health epidemic.” Citing police statistics as of May 13, Louis

Ű BY QIRANA NABILLA MOHD RASHIDI newsdesk@thesundaily.com

KUALA LUMPUR: Vehicles that will not start if drivers are drowsy, unwell or impaired may soon become a reality, as Transport Deputy Minister Datuk Hasbi Habibollah calls for bold, tech-driven solutions to address road safety in Malaysia. Speaking at the MOVE Symposium at Automechanika KL 2025, Hasbi said future road safety may rely on cars that assess a driver’s fitness before unlocking the ignition system – much like a health-monitoring failsafe – to keep unfit drivers off the road. “We’re no longer just talking about how you drive, but whether you’re fit to drive at all. Why not? It’s simple technology. “If a system can detect that you’re unfit, whether due to low blood sugar or fatigue, it should be able to prevent you from starting the vehicle,” he suggested. Highlighting Malaysia’s road safety concerns, Hasbi emphasised the importance of digital innovation in reducing fatalities and risky behaviour among motorists. He pointed to fatigue training, AI-powered microsleep detection, digital fleet monitoring and the new voluntary “Track Score” rating for dashcam and telematics providers as tools

SERVICE READY ... Young army recruits performing a

march-past during the Passing Out Parade for Young Male Soldiers Series 202/2024 at the army basic training centre parade ground in Port Dickson, Negri Sembilan. yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC

Trader loses over RM19,000 in fake investment scam KUALA TERENGGANU: A woman selling fried chicken has lost RM19,050 after falling victim to a fake investment scheme. promise of RM20,060 in profits for an initial investment of just RM300.

She ended up making six payments using her savings, pawned jewellery and a loan. After more than a month with no returns, she realised she had been duped and lodged a police report at 8pm on Thursday. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code for cheating. – Bernama

After making the first payment, she was contacted by two women known as Zaharah and Maznah, who convinced her to make several additional transfers to access the returns.

Kuala Terengganu police chief ACP Azli Mohd Noor said the 38-year-old woman came across an investment advertisement on Facebook on April 15 and was drawn by a