“As a minister, whatever we do will be criticised. That’s fine, I can be patient. If people want to criticise or get angry at me, that’s fine, I can accept it.

“But I stand by my position in reminding everyone about the importance of child seats for children.

“You can criticise me, you can condemn me, but please don’t forget that if you have children, install child seats for their safety,” he said at a press conference today.

Loke was responding to criticism of his comments after the death of a one-year-old child in a four-vehicle crash at the Bukit Kajang toll plaza on Saturday.

The child, who was not secured in a child seat, was thrown out of the vehicle and trapped under another car. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Eight others were injured in the crash involving a lorry, two SUVs and a car.

Loke said he was not blaming the victims or parents, but that the incident should serve as a reminder of why the transport ministry had made child seats compulsory.

“Many people complained when the transport ministry mandated the use of child seats. But when incidents like this happen, it shows how important child seats are.

“The baby might not have been thrown out of the vehicle,” he said.