M'sia To Set Up Road Safety Research Institute

LINKOPING (Sweden), Sept 27 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will set up a road safety research institute, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia, by the end of this year to carry out road safety-related research, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy.
Describing Malaysia as having a unique situation which warranted its own road safety research institute, Chan said the facility, to be located at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)'s main campus in Serdang would allow the government to have better references when formulating road safety policies in the country.
"The government has approved RM50 million to set up the institute under the Ministry of Transport, which will be headed by a director-general with appropriate number of researchers," he said.
The institute, he added, would be tasked with carrying out all kinds of road safety-related research, including in road engineering, design, vehicle design, human behaviour, legislation and road accidents.
Chan was speaking to Malaysian journalists after spending a day visiting the Swedish Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) here, together with Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, who is also chairman of the state Road Safety Council.
VTI, located about 250km from Stockholm, is one of the leading research institutes in Europe.
It was established 80 years ago, with its research findings having direct applications in Swedish and European transport policies. VTI is also a world leader in the field of simulator technology for passenger cars and lorries, besides having its own laboratory, a tyre-testing facility and a crash track.
Chan said the Malaysian institute would be given an annual grant by the government for 30 years to carry out its research activities. However, he declined to reveal the amount of the grant.
He said the institute would be temporarily located outside the campus until the permanent structure at UPM is ready.
"We are looking for a director-general now. It will be confirmed soon. The government has someone in mind," he said but declined to name the candidate.
However, it is widely speculated that UPM deputy vice-chancellor (Academic and International Affairs) Prof Dr Radin Umar Radin Sohadi is the main candidate as he has been described as an expert on road safety, not only in Malaysia but internationally as well.
Dr Radin is part of Chan's 16-member delegation visiting Sweden.
Chan also said the setting up of the road safety institute was part of the Ministry of Transport's Road Safety Master Plan (2006 - 2010) which involved fields such as engineering, education, enforcement and environment protection or better known as the 4E master plan.
"We can see a lot of changes in road safety (after this)," he said.