PETALING JAYA: A new Malaysia Transport Safety Bureau (MTSB) will not only probe the causes of road accidents to prevent these from recurring but will also investigate air, maritime and rail incidents.
According to a document by the Transport Ministry, the focus of the bureau would be on a no-blame, no-liability basis, where it will focus on preventing the recurrence of accidents rather than determining the fault or liability.
The bureau will however in no way replace investigations, regulatory oversight and criminal enforcement carried out by existing law enforcement agencies.
This means investigations can run concurrently.
The MTSB will instead identify the cause of accidents, how they happened and the contributing factors as well as the systemic weaknesses in order to prevent these from happening again.
“Currently, the investigation of accidents and incidents across different modes of transport is governed by separate laws, institutions and procedures,” read the document sighted by The Star.
Road crashes claimed an average of 18 lives a day in 2025.
In June, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the Cabinet had given the green light for the establishment of the MTSB, with legislation expected to be brought to Parliament.
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Explaining the basis behind the MTSB, the ministry said a Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) identified four key issues with the current system.
Among them are the fragmented legal and institutional frameworks across different modes of transport; the lack of clear separation between safety investigations and regulatory and enforcement investigations; inconsistent investigative powers, information protection; and coordination of parallel investigations and the weaknesses in systemic learning, alongside increasing humanitarian and socioeconomic burdens.
The MTSB will see a more uniform framework with more consistent safety investigation principles and procedures across the four modes of transport and ensure independent investigations whereby safety investigation functions are clearly separated from enforcement or the determination of liability.
It will also allow clear investigative powers with officers having access to accident sites as well as the collection and preservation of data, documents, recordings, samples, components and assets.
There will also be information protection such as witness statements and technical data as well as aligned investigation protocols and mechanisms to record, monitor and evaluate follow-up action on safety recommendations.
The ministry has also outlined three considerations based on effectiveness, cost implications, clarity of jurisdiction, technical independence, enforceability, operational feasibility, data protection and long-term safety benefits for stakeholders.
Among them is to maintain existing investigation procedures, establish a Bill to regulate the MTSB or administrative coordination without a new legislation.
The MTSB will involve various stakeholders with roles, responsibilities or interests in the transport sector.
This includes the relevant ministries, departments and government agencies, regulatory bodies and authorities for the aviation, maritime, road and rail sectors, transport operators and service providers, transport infrastructure operators, including airports, ports, terminals and rail infrastructure as well as asset owners and maintenance and technical service providers.
It will also involve insurance companies associated with the transport sector, industry associations and professional bodies, higher education institutions, academics and experts in transport safety, users of transport services, victims and their next of kin and the public.
