PETALING JAYA: As we move towards the new year, Malaysians can look forward to a host of beneficial government initiatives, from pro-green measures to enhanced public transport connectivity.

One of the most anticipated developments is the launch of the Shah Alam LRT line, set to begin operations by September 2025.

Dr Law Teik Hua, associate professor and head of the Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Road Safety Research Centre, is optimistic that the new LRT line, which will provide the long-awaited connectivity between Shah Alam and other key areas in the Klang Valley, would ease traffic congestion and enhance accessibility for commuters.

“Commuters near Shah Alam and Klang will finally get their much-needed travel option, cutting down on the congested roads and highways that have been a major headache for years.

“This should also make retail malls and business districts in Shah Alam much more accessible.

“This will not only make life easier for nearby residents, but also create new business possibilities, which will boost local economic and urban growth,” he said.

Law also urged the government to invest in additional last-mile connectivity options, such as expanding the Demand-Responsive Transport (DRT) programme to complement the new expansion.

The DRT programme, among others, provides first- and last-mile connectivity to public transport hubs.

Consumer protection will also see a boost with the government’s plan to introduce a “lemon law” by March next year, aimed at safeguarding car buyers from defective vehicles.

(A lemon law protects customers whose car warranties have loopholes that allow manufacturers to deny warranty claims.)

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Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations CEO Dr Saravanan Thambirajah said the law would finally resolve the long-standing issue of limited recourse for consumers who purchase defective products.

“Consumers will finally be able to easily hold manufacturers and sellers accountable for faulty vehicles that endanger not just the consumers themselves but also others around them.

“It would promote higher quality standards in the automotive market as well as improve consumer confidence and reduce the burden on consumers to navigate disputes for defective vehicles.

“Similarly, the property sector should also be included under the lemon law as issues like structural weaknesses or faulty plumbing in homes can result in even more severe financial and safety concerns for buyers,” he said.

On the digital front, the mandatory licensing of social media platforms, set to take effect tomorrow, is expected to address the persistent issues of harmful online content, activities, and scams in the country.

Deepak Pillai, a data protection expert at the firm Christopher and Lee Ong, said this would provide Malaysians with much-needed enhanced safeguards against online threats.

“With more channels for reporting threats to both the platforms and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), we can expect social media platform licensees to take a more proactive approach in ensuring online safety.

“Coupled with the MCMC’s enhanced enforcement powers to hold non-compliant platforms accountable, this will significantly strengthen protection for Malaysians online, particularly for vulnerable groups like children,” he said.

Deepak also expressed hope that the government would enhance transparency by regularly publishing public reports on reported harmful content, ensuring greater oversight and accountability.

Another significant development is the expected boost to the sustainable and green energy sector, as the National Energy Transition Facilitation Roadmap (NETR) saw its allocation increase threefold from RM100mil to RM300mil in Budget 2025.

Association of Water and Energy Research Malaysia president S. Piarapakaran said the increased allocation could accelerate the nation’s transition to new green technologies, driving progress on a broader scale.

However, he cautioned that the government should assess the success of new green programmes based on more than just their impact on carbon footprints or greenhouse gas emissions.

“Other parameters like toxicity, radioactivity and sustainability must also be considered as over-transitioning to more extreme solutions could lead to new non-climate related environmental problems.

“As such, the government should consider assessing projects based on both their cost-benefit analysis as well as impact on all relevant environmental parameters.

“This is to ensure we are not too gung-ho about energy transition and more cautious as to avoid creating any potential ‘white elephant’ projects that end up costing us more than the value it creates,” said Piarapakaran.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2024/12/31/brighter-possibilities-in-2025