Robin Augustin

Petaling Jaya

Chief News Editor at Free Malaysia Today

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Articles

Expand taxi drivers' card to buses, says operator association

2 weeks ago | nst.com.my | Robin Augustin

KUALA LUMPUR: An association representing express and stage bus operators has urged the government to expand a system presently used to regulate the hiring of taxi drivers to bus companies. Datuk Mohamad Ashfar Ali, president of the Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association, said they have for years pushed for the introduction of a "driver's card" for buses.
Expert: Inaction, weak enforcement to blame for unresolved bus safety issues

2 weeks ago | nst.com.my | Robin Augustin

There is no need for the government to reinvent the wheel to ensure better bus safety, an expert said, pointing out that decade-old plans introduced after past crashes were not properly implemented. Wan Agyl Wan Hassan, founder of transport think tank MY Mobility Vision, said the Road Transport Department (RTD) and the now-defunct Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) had developed multiple plans and initiatives to tackle bus safety issues.
Tengku Zafrul's exit from Umno to avoid irrelevance before GE16, says analyst

3 weeks ago | nst.com.my | Robin Augustin

KUALA LUMPUR: A political scientist believes that Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz quit Umno to ensure he remains politically relevant ahead of the next general election. Sunway University political scientist Prof Dr Wong Chin Huat said the investment, trade and industry minister likely wants to avoid political irrelevance from Dec 3, when his term as senator ends, to GE16. "He needs a by-election to send him to return to Dewan Rakyat or a state assembly, likely Selangor, which is is base.
'Complement retirement age increase with training, anti-ageist laws'

1 month ago | nst.com.my | Qistina Sallehudin |Robin Augustin

KUALA LUMPUR: Increasing the retirement age from 60 to 65 has financial and social benefits for workers nearing retirement, said experts. Dr Mohamad Idham Md Razak, coordinator at the Malaysian Academy of SME and Entrepreneurship Development, Universiti Teknologi Mara, and Bait Al Amanah research director Abel Benjamin Lim said the proposal carries financial and social implications.
FRU crash: Road safety experts question need for yet another task force

1 month ago | nst.com.my | Robin Augustin |Fuad Nizam

KUALA LUMPUR: Road safety experts have questioned the need for yet another task force to look into the fatal accident involving a lorry and a police truck that killed nine Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) members. Former Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) chairmen Datuk Suret Singh and Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, along with Universiti Putra Malaysia Road Safety Research Centre head Associate Professor Dr Law Teik Hua, said task forces had already been formed for fatal crashes in the past.
Transport consultant: Were previous task forces' findings ever made public?

1 month ago | nst.com.my | Robin Augustin |Fuad Nizam

KUALA LUMPUR: A transport consultant has criticised the authorities for failing to make public the findings and recommendations of task forces set up in response to major road accidents. Wan Agyl Wan Hassan questioned the usefulness of such committees, citing a lack of transparency and follow-through. This comes following reports that a task force will be set up to investigate the accident that killed nine Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) members in Teluk Intan on Tuesday. "We have been here before.
Fomema stepping up clinic audits, biometric checks

1 month ago | nst.com.my | Robin Augustin

KUALA LUMPUR: The Foreign Workers Medical Examination Monitoring Agency (Fomema) says it is aware of syndicates helping unfit workers bypass medical checks. "We take these matters very seriously," said Fomema chief executive officer Dr Afiq Farhan Md Hanif. He said such cases were either detected through Fomema's internal systems or reported via credible feedback from the public or employers.
Fake passports and 'stand-ins' help sick foreign workers bypass health checks

1 month ago | nst.com.my | Robin Augustin

KUALA LUMPUR: Foreigners, believed to be linked to a syndicate, are allegedly helping other foreigners looking to work in Malaysia bypass stringent health checks aimed at protecting local workers and communities from diseases. Several general practitioners, who spoke to the New Straits Times on condition of anonymity, said they were concerned that unfit workers were being absorbed into the workforce, increasing the risk of the spread of infectious diseases like tuberculosis.
Look within, say experts and industry groups

1 month ago | nst.com.my | Robin Augustin

KUALA LUMPUR: Policy makers should look internally at ways to facilitate ease of doing business and investing in the country as part of a wider response to the United States' tariffs, says an economist. Centre for Market Education chief executive officer Dr Carmelo Ferlito said while it was encouraging that Malaysia had sent a delegation to Washington to discuss the issue with the US, it was also important for the country to "look within".
Think tank: Consultation fee cap, medicine pricing rule threaten private clinics' survival

1 month ago | nst.com.my | Robin Augustin

A think tank wants the government to consider deregulating medical consultation fees, saying the issue of displaying medicine prices is linked to the sustainability of private clinics and primary healthcare. Galen Centre chief executive Azrul Mohd Khalib said general practitioners had only two income streams — consultation fees, which are capped, and the sale of medicines.