JPJ: Zero Tolerance Towards Overloading Includes Body Cam & Firearms Adoption

The Road Transport Department (JPJ) will roll out major enforcement upgrades this Nov, equipping officers with body cameras and firearms while launching a nationwide crackdown on overloaded commercial vehicles.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the move aims to improve transparency, accountability, and officer safety amid growing enforcement challenges.

“Beginning Nov 2025, 100 Body-Worn Cameras (BWC or ‘body cam’) will be used by JPJ officers across headquarters and state offices, with an allocation of RM2.3 million,” Loke said after the JPJ Loyalty Assembly and Anti-Corruption Pledge Ceremony.

To strengthen self-defence, the ministry has also approved RM500,000 for 60 new pistols to supplement existing assets. Loke said enforcement operations are often dangerous, citing threats from “tontos” or informers who protect overloaded trucks.

“This is not to threaten anybody but a self-defence approach,” he said, adding that officers must keep their cameras switched on throughout operations.

At the same time, the Ministry of Transport has launched the “War on Overloaded Commercial Vehicles” campaign, which runs from Oct 14 until Dec 31. The operation targets operators and drivers who flout load limits and compromise road safety.

The campaign covers five enforcement zones nationwide (North, Central, South, East, and Borneo) with each state deploying four teams. It focuses on hotspot areas near quarries, ports, and heavy industrial zones where trucks frequently carry excess loads such as sand, soil, coal, palm oil, and logs.

“JPJ will not compromise with any operator or driver who endangers public safety or damages roads,” Loke said.

He added that JPJ and the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) will introduce a new framework allowing repeat offenders to face suspension or revocation of permits.

“This is to stop companies from treating fines as just another business cost,” he said, noting that a recent safety audit involving 500 high-risk operators found that 54.43% failed to comply with regulations.

Loke said the combined initiatives mark a decisive step towards safer, more disciplined, and transparent road enforcement across Malaysia.