The RXZ Members Programme has defended a proposal to temporarily close parts of the East Coast Expressway (LPT1 and LPT2) for a future motorcycle convoy, after the idea drew backlash online.
RXZ Members Programme director Mohd Lukhman Hassan questioned why road closures were accepted for marathon events but criticised when proposed for the RXZ gathering.
“Full marathon events can close state and federal roads for 12 hours, and nobody says anything. Why can’t we? We pay road tax. Do runners pay road tax too?”
Organiser says the highway closure was not their idea
Mohd Lukhman later clarified that the proposal actually came from the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) during a stakeholder engagement session involving the Road Transport Department (JPJ).
He said his team had received the suggestion almost as a joke and stressed that they did not actually want the highway closed.
“We don’t actually want it. We just want to point out that Malaysia can, and does, close highways for events,” he said.
The engagement session was held following concerns over the RXZ Members event, which was linked to 46 recorded accidents and 11 deaths.
Open to vehicle screening proposal
On JPJ’s proposal for participants to submit vehicle registration details and photographs during registration, Mohd Lukhman said the organisers were open to the idea.
However, he said they did not have the resources or authority to check whether every motorcycle complied with technical specifications.
He said screening potentially 100,000 registrations, identifying non-compliant vehicles and following up with participants would require significant manpower and coordination.
Marathon comparison draws criticism
The comparison with marathon road closures quickly became a talking point online.
Several commenters pointed out that marathon organisers generally pay highway concessionaires or authorities for road closures, rather than receiving them for free.
Others also questioned the road tax argument, noting that runners can also be road tax-paying vehicle owners.
Critics further argued that marathon routes, timings and participant numbers are typically more controlled, while an RXZ convoy could involve a much larger number of motorcycles travelling along an interstate expressway.
Healthcare worker shares another perspective
The debate also brought attention to the impact of large motorcycle gatherings on emergency services.
A healthcare worker shared an account on Threads claiming that during RXZ 8.0, a hospital’s emergency department received several red-zone cases involving RXZ riders, including patients requiring intubation and a massive blood transfusion.
The post described the emergency department as being overwhelmed by the sudden influx of patients and questioned whether the disruption to healthcare workers and resources should also be considered when discussing the event.
Meanwhile, some supporters have defended the gathering, pointing to its religious activities, including congregational prayers and qiamullail, as well as the sense of community among participants.
The debate continues as authorities and organisers discuss tighter measures for future RXZ Members events.
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