GEORGE TOWN: Public safety must remain the top priority in the execution of infrastructure projects, especially as the government accelerates efforts to expand Malaysia’s public transport systems, said industry experts.
Transport consultant Rosli Azad Khan and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) associate professor Bernard L.P. Saw said safety should be treated as a fundamental requirement throughout every phase of a project’s lifecycle, not as an afterthought.
They emphasised that whether building rail lines, highways or transit hubs, safety must be embedded in the planning, approval and execution stages, and never compromised for speed or cost.
“Public transport operations need to be fast and effective,” they added.
“But when safety is not prioritised, it could cause major interruptions, physical damage, ballooning costs and in the worst cases, injuries or even death.”
Rosli stressed that while deadlines may be tight, cutting corners on safety could lead to far-reaching consequences. He added that the public ultimately pays the price through service disruptions, accidents and costly system overhauls.
“The cost of cutting corners is far greater than doing things right from the start,” he said.
Saw, from Utar’s Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science, highlighted the need for robust safety standards to be integrated from the ground up.
Meanwhile, former Prasarana Malaysia Bhd managing director and MRT Corp CEO Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar said safety considerations must extend beyond public transport.
He added that water supply infrastructure, government buildings and other public facilities should also meet strict safety benchmarks.
Their remarks follow renewed scrutiny over infrastructure safety in the wake of several recent tragedies involving structural failures.
The incidents have reignited long-standing concerns over oversight, accountability and whether safety is being sidelined in the push to deliver mega projects quickly.
