MPP Chairman Urges CVLB Sarawak To Take Stringent Action Against Overloading Lorries
Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) Chairman Cr. Tan Kai has responded to recent remarks by Michael Kong, Chairman of CVLB Sarawak and Special Assistant to YB Chong Chieng Jen, who denied the board’s responsibility over road damage caused by heavy lorries at Jalan Kwong Thiong.
“Based on ground inspections and repeated cases in various residential areas, the deterioration of these roads is almost always caused by heavy and overloaded lorries, especially those involved in earthworks. These roads were never designed for such weight or frequency of use. So, to suggest that road damage is unrelated to overloading is misleading,” said Tan.
He further stated that the issue goes beyond local enforcement measures such as issuing compounds or stop work orders, noting that the root cause lies in the operation of overloaded lorries, which is tied to licensing and regulatory oversight under CVLB.
“Dismissing this problem as unrelated to overloading is both inaccurate and irresponsible,” Tan said.
He stressed that while MPP has already taken enforcement action including issuing compounds to the parties involved as this alone does not resolve the problem. Overloaded lorries continue to damage the roads despite these measures.
“This is a chicken-and-egg situation. Unless the movement of over-capacity vehicles is addressed at the licensing level, road damage will continue not just in Padawan, but throughout Sarawak,” he said.
Tan pointed out that the licensing of heavy commercial vehicles is the responsibility of CVLB Sarawak and called on the agency to establish stronger monitoring mechanisms to ensure compliance with weight limits and designated routes.
“The current system, which relies on complaints or notifications from local councils, reflects a lack of proactive enforcement on the part of the licensing body,” he added.
He urged CVLB to work closely with local councils rather than placing the burden of enforcement solely on MPP. Among the measures he proposed were a review of standard operating procedures for issuing licenses, stricter control over permissible weight limits, effective monitoring mechanisms to detect overloading, and firmer action against violators.
MPP has already denied road access to a developer found carrying out earthworks without a valid road permit and instructed the party to repair the damaged road at their own expense.
As the local authority responsible for public infrastructure and community safety, MPP remains committed to safeguarding residents’ living environment. However, Tan emphasized that meaningful progress can only be achieved with active cooperation and accountability from the relevant licensing authorities.
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