30/08/2026

theSunday Special XV ON SUNDAY AUG 30, 2026

Malaysian road safety is a joke, and something needs to be done now

If the authorities genuinely want to improve the situation, then stop offer ing discounts for traffic offences. Stop relying on seasonal operations where everyone behaves themselves for a few days before returning to their old habits. Enforcement needs to be consistent, visible and permanent. And if the excuse is a lack of manpower, then use technology. Allow members of the public to sub mit photographs and videos of traffic offences and, where the evidence meets the required legal standard, use it to take action against offenders. Deploy more automated enforce ment where appropriate. Find new ways of making people realise that breaking the law comes with conse quences. Do anything that works. Because we cannot continue like this. Dangerous driving is not simply an annoyance. It puts lives at risk every single day. Malaysia already has the rules. What we are missing is the willingness to enforce them. And until that changes, our roads will remain a free-for-all.

Australian authorities do not play around. There is no expectation that you can talk your way out of a ticket. The fines can be hefty, and demerit points have real consequences. The same applies in Singapore, Japan, Europe and many other countries. We behave because we know there is a price to pay if we do not. Malaysia already has the laws. Everyone knows what they are sup posed to do – and what they are not. The fact that people continue to break those rules simply tells us that they do not fear the consequences. And that affects every one of us. Our roads become more dangerous, while law-abiding motorists are left to deal with increasingly reckless behav iour as part of their daily commute. At some point, someone in the top brass needs to stand up and say: enough is enough. When that happens is anyone’s guess, but I lay the blame squarely at the door of poor enforcement.

some sum that you will see at least 20 motorcyclists running red lights within an hour, perhaps even less. And increasingly, car drivers are doing it too. But why are they so will ing to break the rules? The simple answer is lax enforcement and weak con sequences.

WE recently witnessed perhaps the biggest act of defiance towards the authorities in the country’s history, when a group of illegal motorcycle rac ers shut down part of a highway to stage their race. Such a brazen act can only mean a few things: these racers do not care about getting caught, they do not care about the consequences, they do not care about their own safety, and they certainly do not care about the safety of other road users. The bottom line is that they simply do not care about the police or any other authority, including the Road Transport Department. But why should they be scared? They might get caught, but more often than not, they get away lightly. Illegal racing happens all over the country, and it happens far too fre quently. But that is only part of the problem. Then there is something we see every day: motorcyclists brazenly run ning red lights. Take a drive around the centre of Kuala Lumpur and I would bet a hand

WRITTEN BY KESHY DHILLON

Motorcyclists simply do not care because they know there is a good chance they will get away with it. And when they are caught, the punishment is often little more than a slap on the wrist. This is not an education problem. The rules could not be clearer. Red means stop. This is an enforcement problem. Ask yourself why we suddenly become model drivers when we travel overseas. When we are in Australia, we know not to exceed the speed limit. We know not to touch our phones while driving, even when sitting at a traffic light. We follow the rules because we know

Packing a punch

Porsche’s first fully electric Cayenne lands in Malaysia with six variants

PORSCHE MALAYSIA has launched the new Cayenne Electric, marking the first fully electric version of its flagship SUV, with prices ranging from RM699,000 to RM999,999 before options. The fourth-generation Cayenne will be sold along side the existing combustion engined and plug-in hybrid versions, which continue to be locally assembled in Malaysia. Six electric variants are available across SUV and Coupe body styles. Prices start at RM699,000 for the Cayenne Electric, fol lowed by the Cayenne S Electric at RM759,000 and Cayenne Turbo Electric at RM969,999. Coupe variants are priced from RM749,000, while the Cayenne S Coupe Electric

cabin, Porsche retains physi cal controls for key functions such as climate and audio. Malaysian-spec cars also receive generous standard equipment, including four zone climate control, 14-way electric front comfort seats, rear sunblinds, Bose surround sound and wireless charging preparation. The base Cayenne Electric additionally gets the Sport Chrono Package with Electric Sport Sound, Automatic Parking with 2D Surround View and rear-axle steering as standard. The Cayenne S adds HD Matrix LED headlights, while the Turbo receives a Burmester sound system, Mood Modes and the aug mented reality head-up dis play.

up to 600kW during braking, with Porsche saying around 97 per cent of everyday brak ing can be handled by the electric motors. The electric Cayenne is larger than its combustion engined counterpart, measur ing 4,985mm long with a 3,023mm wheelbase. The additional space benefits rear passengers, while luggage capacity ranges from 781 to 1,588 litres, supplemented by a 90-litre front boot. Inside, the dashboard is dominated by Porsche’s curved OLED Flow Display, accompanied by a 14.25-inch digital instrument cluster and optional 14.9-inch passenger display. An augmented reality head-up display is also avail able. Despite the screen-heavy

642km for the Cayenne Electric, 653km for the S and 623km for the Turbo, while the more aerodynamic Coupe can travel up to 669km. DC charging peaks at 390kW, with Porsche claiming a 10-80% charge in less than 16 minutes. Up to 325km of range can also be added in 10 minutes under suitable condi tions. Porsche has also focused heavily on driving dynamics. Adaptive air suspension with Porsche Active Suspension Management is standard, while rear-axle steering is available. Porsche Active Ride, offered for the first time on the Cayenne, further reduces body movement while maintaining ride com fort. The system can regenerate

costs RM805,000 and the range-topping Cayenne Turbo Coupe Electric RM999,999. All versions use dual elec tric motors and all-wheel drive, with outputs ranging from 442PS in the Cayenne Electric to a staggering 1,156PS in the Turbo when Launch Control is activated. The Turbo produces 857PS in normal driving and 1,500Nm of torque with Launch Control, enabling it to sprint from 0-100kph in 2.5 seconds, reach 200kph in 7.4 seconds and continue to a 260kph top speed. It also features Push-to Pass, providing an additional 176PS for up to 10 seconds. Underneath, every Cayenne Electric gets a 113kWh battery and 800-volt electrical archi tecture. WLTP range reaches