From Boo Jia Cher

On July 24, a 23-year-old motorcyclist lost control of his bike on the DASH Highway, struck a divider and fell 21m to his death.

His story is part of a larger, deeply troubling pattern.

Malaysia is grappling with a silent yet deadly crisis on its roads. On average, 12 motorcyclists are killed every day, most of them aged 16 to 35. In 2024 alone, motorcyclists accounted for nearly 4,014 of the 5,939 road fatalities, roughly 70%, and up to 75% in some studies.

This is not just a statistic. It is a national tragedy shaped by decades of policy failures and neglect.

A legacy of car-centric planning

Since the 1980s, Malaysia’s transport policy has prioritised private car ownership. The Proton national car project, petrol subsidies, and highway-centred urbanisation all reinforced an era in which motorisation was equated with modernity and national progress.

But these choices sidelined the majority who can’t afford cars, while public transport alternatives lagged far behind. In this vacuum, motorcycles, which are affordable, versatile, and cheap to run, become essential for millions of families, not just a choice but a lifeline.

The image is familiar across the nation: families of four squeezed on a kapcai, kids riding without helmets, teenagers zipping through traffic, often without a licence. For many, motorcycles are a daily survival.

Streets built for speed, not safety

Danger lurks even in so-called “peaceful” suburbs like Elmina and Setia Alam. Viral videos reveal how wide roads are being turned into racetracks by Mat Rempit, a growing phenomenon that’s becoming disturbingly normalised across the country.

Kelantan recently saw a 49% surge in Mat Rempit cases, with most offenders under 18. Some are as young as 16. This reflects broader social issues: a lack of safe, attractive public spaces, youth centres, or alternatives for recreation and belonging.

When entire urban designs fail to provide other outlets, speed and noise become a form of identity and rebellion, often with fatal consequences.

Economic desperation meets mobility gaps

Cars are expensive. Public transport is patchy, especially outside city centres. This lack of reliable, accessible alternatives turns motorcycles into the only viable way to commute to jobs, schools, or participate in the gig economy: a reality across much of Southeast Asia.

But the freedom promised by motorcycles is brutally deceptive. In Malaysia, along with Thailand and Indonesia, motorcycles make up to 74% of road fatalities. Regionally, riders of powered two- and three-wheelers account for 62% of all road deaths, by far the highest in the world.

Urbanisation and rising motorbike fleets have led to a staggering rise in injuries and deaths, fueling a cycle of risk and tragedy.

The alternative: how other countries responded

Many successful cities offer blueprints for a different path. Tokyo, Seoul, and Hong Kong have built world-class public transport systems.

In Hong Kong, for example, 88% of trips are made by mass transit, making motorcycles unnecessary for daily commutes. Seoul has invested in bus-only lanes and urban density oriented around public transport, while Tokyo’s efficient rail and bus network prioritises safety, speed, and accessibility over car-centric sprawl.

These public systems consistently score at the top globally for safety, affordability, and reliability.

What Malaysia can and must do

Across Malaysia, the Klang Valley is most ripe for reform. MRT, LRT and bus lines exist, but frequency (especially for buses), coverage, integration, and access for lower-income groups need urgent upgrades.

The 12th Malaysia Plan (2021–2025) calls for transit-oriented development and public transport improvements, but results remain uneven.

This can change if these steps are taken immediately:

• Stop highway-driven urban expansion; invest in safer, people-first urban planning.
• End sprawl by increasing density along transit corridors.
• Redesign streets in dense areas to prioritise buses, bikes, and pedestrians over private cars.
• Hold local councils accountable: reward transit-oriented planning; penalise car-centric design.
• Further subsidise public transport, especially for low-income and young riders.
• Expand access to recreation, sports, and skill-building centres to engage youth (such as Ampang Park LRT/MRT skate park).
• Enforce stronger motorcycle safety standards, including helmets and licensing.

Safety campaigns matter, but they are not enough. The core crisis is why so many people have no other choice.

Time to prevent more tragedies

Every motorcyclist’s death is a preventable tragedy. Malaysia has the resources, models, and examples to reverse this deadly norm, but it takes political will, sustained investment, and a transport policy focused on moving people, not cars, safely.

We show urgency when a bus crash claims lives. But far more motorcyclists die daily, and we stay silent.

Until that changes, the cycle of loss will echo across our highways, proof of a system failing those who rely on it most.

Boo Jia Cher is an FMT reader.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.