Actress Michelle Yeoh takes on new role as UN global road safety ambassador

PETALING JAYA: Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh now has another most important role to play - global road safety ambassador, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

The Transport Minister said the Malaysian actress, who is a former Miss Malaysia, is now a UN Development Programme (UNDP) goodwill ambassador advocating greater road safety worldwide.

"Miss Malaysia, martial arts megastar and Star Trek captain. Now our Anak Malaysia Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh shoulders yet another most important role as UNDP goodwill ambassador for greater road safety worldwide," the MCA president said in a Facebook post last night.

In the post, Dr Wee also revealed a poster of Yeoh in her new role as global road safety advisor.

The poster, with the hashtag #streetsforlife, also carries the tagline, "Safe roads play a leading role."

"Sustainable living to smash-hit movies. Safe roads go further than you think," Yeoh is quoted as saying in the poster.

In a related development, Malaysia will continue to work with Swedish authorities to enhance road safety in the country.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said the collaboration is being undertaken by the Transport Ministry through the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros).

"In fact, we are studying the nine recommendations put forward by the Academic Expert Group in their high-level report related to building safer vehicles through advanced technologies in vehicle construction and infrastructure design," said Dr Wee.

This follows a discussion held with Swedish Infrastructure Minister Tomas Eneroth.

Dr Wee said the Infrastructure Ministry had funded the Academic Expert Group whose recommendations formed the 2020 Stockholm Declaration on road safety, which was then endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly resolutions in August 2020.