KUALA LUMPUR: Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the government fully supports recent enforcement action against “tonto” — middlemen accused of tipping off lorry operators to avoid penalties.
Loke said the operation had been planned earlier by the Road Transport Department (RTD) top management in collaboration with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), and that he had been informed in advance of the joint action.
“I personally fully support it because the problem of tontos and the leaking of enforcement information to them is indeed happening,” he told reporters at the RAC 2025 Zakat Presentation Ceremony and the “Ihya Ramadan” programme with orphans and the media at Aloft Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
Loke said that he had received multiple complaints, including from lorry operators in Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah, claiming that enforcement details were sometimes known in advance — even before officers went to the ground.
He said this indicated that information was being leaked from within RTD itself, allegedly by internal staff or enforcement officers who tipped off external parties prior to operations.
The minister thanked MACC and RTD’s top management for their efforts, stressing that the ministry would not compromise on integrity issues within the department.
“The crackdown comes amid repeated offences by operators who thought they were immune from law enforcement.
“Stricter action will be taken once we obtain the necessary information.
“Operators who repeatedly commit offences risk not only permit suspension, but also revocation of their operator licences,” he said.
The warning follows a large-scale joint operation, dubbed Ops Middleman, aimed at dismantling an alleged protection network accused of shielding commercial vehicle operators from enforcement through bribery and corrupt practices.
The operation, led by MACC in coordination with RTD and supported by the Police, included inspection roadblocks and monitoring exercises in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, and multiple locations across the Klang Valley.
Recently, thirteen individuals, including three enforcement officers, have been remanded over claims that they orchestrated a “tonto” cartel involved in bribery and providing illegal protection for commercial vehicles.
Several media organisations were embedded with enforcement teams to observe proceedings.
Officers stopped numerous lorries for spot checks, impounded vehicles, and issued summonses for offences including overloading and other technical breaches.
While RTD and police personnel conducted document and physical inspections, MACC officers monitored for any attempts at bribery or interference by intermediaries, commonly referred to as “tontos.”
The Sun Malaysia
