Transport minister urges commercial vehicle drivers to make RM30 health screening count as fewer than 20 sign up

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 — Commercial vehicle drivers have been slow to enroll in the government's subsidized health screening program, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook reported. Only fewer than 20 drivers have taken advantage of the initiative since its launch last month. Despite the program offering a comprehensive health examination for just RM30, subsidized by the Social Security Organisation (Socso) at a cost of RM55, participation has remained low.

Loke made the announcement during the Transport Ministry's monthly assembly and the launch of the National Month celebrations. The Pemandu Sihat dan Selamat (PSS) initiative targets about 30,000 commercial vehicle drivers aged between 40 and 59 in its initial phase, launched on June 30 and implemented from July 1. Loke emphasized that addressing drivers' health concerns is crucial for ensuring road safety.

He attributed the low participation to the program's novelty and called for greater awareness among drivers. The government has deliberately reduced the screening cost to RM30 through Socso's subsidy, but drivers have yet to take full advantage. Loke urged drivers, particularly those over 50, to undergo comprehensive health screenings to detect potential health issues early, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.

The initiative aims to improve drivers' health and wellbeing and addresses shortcomings in the existing health certification process for commercial drivers. Previously, drivers only needed to submit a certified medical examination form when renewing their vocational licences, making it difficult to verify the thoroughness of the examination.

Under the new system, doctors at participating clinics will input their findings directly into an online system, which will be integrated with JPJ's MySikap platform. This will make drivers' health reports available when they renew their licences, eliminating the need for physical forms. The programme, launched in collaboration with the Human Resources Ministry, Socso, JPJ, and the Malaysian Medical Association, is scheduled to run from July to December with 500 participating clinics and a budget of RM12.4 million, including RM7 million from Socso and RM5.4 million from the Finance Ministry.