Over the past two years, Sarawak has emerged as the top region in the nation for thefts of the popular Toyota Hilux pickup.
Hilux thefts shot up to 54 units in 2022 from six units in 2021, while 19 units were stolen in the first half of 2023, according to latest statistics from Insurance Services Malaysia Bhd.
One reason for the spike in Hilux thefts could be the construction of Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara, just across the border in Kalimantan, where there is a huge demand for light pickup trucks.
The Toyota Hilux is so popular that there are shortages of them even in Peninsular Malaysia. One fleet purchaser said he had ordered 10 units but only two were available on the scheduled delivery date.
It must be noted that this spike in Toyota Hilux thefts is not normal. The most stolen car in Malaysia was the Proton Wira until 2022 when it was overtaken by the Hilux.
Dramatic fall in motor thefts
But it is the reduction of vehicle thefts over the past 20 years that is a Malaysian success – from 38,322 units at its height in 2013 to 4,352 in 2022 and 4,086 in 2023.
This didn’t happen by chance. It was the result of a joint action initiated by the General Insurance Association of Malaysia (PIAM) to curb the financial losses from car thefts incurred by insurers.
Car thefts have been trending downwards since the vehicle theft reduction council was formed in 2004 with eight other agencies including the police, transport ministry, Bank Negara, and Malaysian Automotive Association.
A victimless crime?
But vehicle theft is unique in that many consider it a victimless crime.
Almost all new vehicles are bought on hire purchase and insured against theft. When a car is stolen during the usual seven-year loan period, the hire-purchaser will be indemnified after the insurer is satisfied by the police that the theft is genuine.
But car thefts penalise everyone who buys cars on hire purchase as, ultimately, they are the ones who will have to pay a higher price for comprehensive motor insurance.
Cutting down on road deaths
After having reduced the incidence of vehicle thefts, the council is now expanding its scope towards reducing the number of traffic and motor accidents,
, said Mas Tina, the council’s coordinator.which cause heavy financial loss to the nation and tragedies for families
One of the most important contributions that the council can provide is more comprehensive traffic crash statistics to enable analysis and data-based preventive action by stakeholders.
Overall statistics from traffic police at Bukit Aman showed a steady rise of deaths from motorcycle accidents, from 3,369 in 2001 to 4,480 in 2023. Deaths of motorcyclists and pillion riders make up 69.2% of all traffic fatalities in 2023, up from 57.6% in 2001.
It would also be interesting to use insurance data on accident claims to analyse the efficacy of delivery platforms in reducing the crash rate of p-hailing riders.
Foodpanda says it is testing telematics methods to identify unsafe behaviours of its delivery riders, while Grab says it’s offering safety training courses and providing free group personal accident insurance on top of mandatory Socso contributions.
Personally, I think riders will be more observant of traffic laws if there is a telematics-based solution executed in tandem with a delivery algorithm that rewards a logical delivery time, rather than pure speed of delivery. - FMT
Yamin Vong can be reached at his Facebook page, yamin.com.my.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT
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