The government has put the brakes on for the upcoming three-month holiday period, ordering traffic to abide by an 80kph limit in a bid to lower the heavy annual death toll.

Multicultural Malaysia celebrates the Muslim Hari Raya festival and then the Indian Deepavali festival in quick succession this month, followed by Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Transport Minister Chan Kon Choy told the New Straits Times that commercial vehicles would be banned from the roads at the height of the October festivities, to ease traffic flow and reduce accidents.

The cabinet decided to lower the speed limit from 90 kilometres per hour until Jan 15, and if successful, the initiative could be made a permanent annual fixture, the newspaper said.