KLANG, March 16 — The government is looking to recruit retired military personnel to work as haulage truck drivers to address labour shortages in the port logistics sector, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said today.

Loke said the initiative aims to match thousands of retiring armed forces veterans with jobs in the port and logistics industry.

“They are tough, disciplined people who can wake up early and work hard,” he told reporters after launching the new annex building of the Port Klang Authority.

“So, I hope companies will give them a chance and not simply say there are no more drivers.”

He said the policy shift is meant to replace an older approach where retired servicemen were encouraged to become taxi drivers.

“In the past we gave them taxi permits, but the taxi industry is now very different and many are not interested because it is hard to cover the cost of living,” he said.

“Instead, we want to match them with the port and logistics industry where there is demand.”

The programme is part of the Professional Advancement in Trucking and Haulage (PATH) initiative, launched in March 2025 through a collaboration between the various ministries and agencies.

The programme provides structured training for participants to obtain the Class E heavy vehicle licence and the Goods Driving Licence (GDL) required to operate container haulage trucks serving Port Klang. 

Under the initiative, retiring military personnel who already have experience driving heavy vehicles can undergo retraining and certification to convert their existing driving qualifications into civilian haulage licences. 

The government is also looking at simplifying the licensing process and expanding training opportunities so that more veterans can quickly transition into the logistics workforce and help address the shortage of haulage drivers in the port industry, while also creating new employment opportunities for Malaysians.

Loke said the government is working to simplify the process for obtaining heavy vehicle licences, including the E licence and Goods Driving Licence (GDL), to bring more drivers into the industry.

“If retraining is needed, we will do it but for now we will make it easier for them to obtain the licence so we can get more drivers into the sector.”

The initiative is also expected to help support growing cargo volumes at Port Klang, which recorded a historic 15.14 million TEUs in container throughput in 2025.