SHAH ALAM – A woman has claimed that a police escort for a VIP put her children at risk while travelling on the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2).
In a Threads post, the woman said the incident happened at around 4.40pm, claiming a traffic police officer repeatedly tried to force her to move aside while escorting a VIP.
She said a truck was beside her at the time, making it unsafe for her to change lanes with her children in the car.
"What exactly did you expect me to do? Drive into the truck beside me?" she wrote.
The woman said she eventually changed lanes once it was safe to do so, but claimed the officer continued to confront her and pointed a finger at her while riding alongside her vehicle.
"The second it was safe, I changed lanes. But apparently that wasn’t enough.
"You came right up beside my car, pointing your finger at me like I'd committed some crime," she added.
She said the officer’s actions left her feeling that her children’s safety was being put at risk, arguing that police should be protecting motorists rather than pressuring them into dangerous moves.
"My kids were in the car. Their lives matter more than any VIP.
"No VIP is more important than the safety of the public. We deserve to get home to our families too. Today, you didn’t make me feel protected. You made me feel unsafe," she wrote.
The post drew responses from other road users, with several claiming to have experienced similar incidents involving VIP escorts.
One user claimed a traffic policeman had kicked their vehicle’s side mirror while trying to make way for a VIP.
Another said they had witnessed two vehicles crash after a police escort allegedly cut into traffic and suddenly stopped vehicles to allow a VIP convoy to pass, before leaving the scene.
The post also raised questions about how VIP escorts are handled on the road, particularly when it comes to the safety of other motorists.
Universiti Putra Malaysia Road Safety Research Centre head Associate Professor Dr Law Teik Hua said while escorts play an important role in protecting certain individuals, they should not be granted solely on the basis of VIP status.
He said they should be reserved for people facing genuine security threats or carrying out critical national responsibilities – citing the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, state rulers and the Prime Minister as examples where such risks have already been established.
"The importance of the VIP escort cannot be underestimated; however, it must not be offered to every public figure or dignitary," he told Sinar Daily.
He said providing escorts where they were not necessary could disrupt traffic, increase the exposure of other road users to danger and divert enforcement resources from other priorities.
Law said the issue was particularly concerning when escort operations involved sudden lane changes, dangerous overtaking, blocking vehicles or aggressively directing motorists to give way, as such actions could increase the risk of collisions.
"Although escort officers are professionals, traffic safety issues should always come first in their activities. They have to perform their duties in a manner that ensures all operations take place safely," he said.
He said VIP status alone should not be sufficient justification for an escort, particularly when it was being used for convenience during peak traffic periods.
"There must be a proper balance between security requirements, operational priorities and what is justifiable from the perspective of the public," he said.
Law said a clear policy should be established to define who qualifies for police escorts and the conditions under which they can be granted.
"These escorts should be based on security evaluations and re-evaluated after some time to determine if their use is still necessary," he added.
He stressed that protecting VIPs should not come at the expense of everyone else on the road.
"A good escort service should provide security but not at the expense of road safety and efficiency of other road users," he said.
Sinar Daily has reached out to Federal police Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Muhammed Hasbullah Ali for comments. Hasbullah said he is looking into the matter.