KUALA LUMPUR – The Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence of the bus driver involved in the tragic June 9 crash that claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students has been suspended with immediate effect.
According to Road Transport Department (JPJ) Director-General Datuk Aedy Fadly Ramli, the suspension was enforced under Section 56(4) of the Road Transport Act 1987.
“As a proactive measure to safeguard public interest and ensure the safety of road users, the suspension will remain in effect until investigations are completed,” he said in a statement today.
JPJ has also launched an investigation into the bus operator and the company that leased the vehicle’s operating permit.
The fatal incident occurred along the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding in Gerik, Perak, when a chartered bus carrying 42 students from UPSI’s main campus in Tanjung Malim, Perak, overturned after colliding with a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV). The students were returning from Jertih, Terengganu.
Thirteen of the students died at the scene, while two others succumbed to their injuries in hospital. The crash also left 33 individuals injured, including the bus driver, his assistant, the MPV driver and three MPV passengers.
The driver, 39-year-old Mohd Amirul Fadhil Zulkifle, has since been charged in the Gerik Magistrates’ Court for dangerous driving resulting in death.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge framed under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to RM50,000 upon conviction.
Meanwhile, preliminary findings by Puspakom, released on June 14, showed that the bus’s braking system was in working order, contradicting the driver’s claim of brake failure.
The report found no signs of wear on the brakes, linings or drums, and no leakage in the air compressor tank.
Additionally, the vehicle’s tyres were found to be in good condition and met JPJ specifications. The bus’s steering and suspension systems were also deemed satisfactory. – June 16, 2025