STORY TO BE TOLD

Bus owners to face action
By RACHAEL KAM and STEVEN DANIEL
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

SHAH ALAM: Police expect to take action against the owners of the company whose bus crashed at Genting Sempah last week.

Gombak OCPD Asst Comm Abdul Rahim Abdullah said action would be taken against them for hiring a driver who did not have a valid driving licence.

He added that the bus company’s business registration number showed that it was based in Perlis.

“We have yet to record a statement from the owner of the company but expect to do so within a couple of days,” ACP Abdul Rahim said after attending the police Deepavali open house at the Selangor police headquarters near here yesterday.

The driver, who is currently receiving treatment for a broken leg at Hospital Kuala Lumpur, is expected to be released on police bail today.

The bus skidded and overturned at the 38km of the Genting Sempah road on Friday, killing seven and injuring 39 others.

The driver told police he had lost his licence, but a check with the Road Transport Department (JPJ) showed that he did not have one.

Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (CVLB) chairman Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique had, in a statement earlier, said that the driver S. Muthumani, 36, was employed by Taipan Suria (MM2H) Sdn Bhd and that an audit finding on the company was held yesterday to get more details on the company’s operations.

The results of the audit, she said, would be tabled on Nov 8 at a meeting of the Fatal Accident Inquiry Committee.

Sources said it was time to review charter bus licences as such buses had monopolised the industry and had affected express bus, school bus and factory bus operators.

They also said Taipan Suria, which was registered in March 1997, had four directors and had 99 active licences.

However, the JPJ’s system showed that 101 buses were registered under the company as charter buses.

The bus involved in the crash – with registration number RC 9863 – was registered on Jan 25, 1996 under the charter bus category.

It was learnt that JPJ was in the midst of investigating why the charter bus had the word Trans Holiday on it and was painted in green and white – the colours of a tour bus.

Pan-Malaysia Bus Operators Association president Datuk Mohamad Ashfar Ali suggested that bus drivers have an identity card similar to the one displayed by taxi drivers when on duty to allow passengers to report reckless drivers.

He added that the association had made the suggestion five years ago.

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Man behind wheel of ill-fated bus apologises to families

KUALA LUMPUR: The driver of the ill-fated bus that crashed and took seven lives on Friday at Genting Sempah said he drove to support his family despite not having a valid driving licence.

S. Muthumani, 36, claimed he once had a driving licence but it was suspended by the Road Transport Department because it did not recognise the driving school he had gone to.

“I wanted to re-apply for a licence but couldn’t afford to,” he told reporters from his bed at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (KLH) yesterday.

Muthumani was warded with a broken leg as well as a head injury that required 15 stitches.

His wife, 32, was at his bedside. The couple have three children, aged 10, 11 and 13 years.

Showing concern: Abdul Azeez asking Muthumani about his condition at KLH yesterday.

It was earlier reported that the man had never had a valid driving licence but only a learner driver’s licence that was blacklisted 13 years ago.

Thirty-nine people were injured in the accident and were sent to hospitals in Kuala Lumpur, Selayang and Bentong.

The victims were from the Kedah 4B Youth movement, who had used the bus for a group excursion.

The driver has been remanded for four days since Saturday and will be investigated for reckless driving and causing death.

Muthumani said his employer knew he did not have a licence but continued to seek his services and paid him RM120 for a two-way trip on the Genting route, which he had done many times before.

He apologised to the families of the victims, saying he regretted what had happened and claimed the accident was caused by brake failure.

“I apologise to the families of the victims. I really did everything I could to avoid the accident but since the brakes failed, I was helpless,” he said.

Muthumani said that upon realising the brakes had failed, he applied the hand brake but that too did not help and efforts to engage the gear to minimise the bus speed were also futile.

Meanwhile, Putera 1Malaysia Club president Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim plans to sue the bus operator.

“I will begin discussions with the lawyers on Monday. For now, the lawyers are still collecting evidence for the case,” he told reporters at KLH.

He said he wanted to make an example of the bus company through the lawsuit so that other companies would buck up on their safety standards and prevent such a tragedy from happening.

Abdul Azeez alleged that safety precautions had been lax, the bus was decrepit and it did not have safety belts.

“I’ve been told the company did not subscribe to any group insurance scheme.

“The passengers told me the driver used only one hand when driving, apparently because of an old injury on the other hand,” he said.

It was all due to a creaky, leaky bus, say families

ALOR STAR: The families of the seven victims killed in the bus crash near Genting believe their loved ones would still be alive if not for an unscrupulous bus operator who had provided them with a vehicle that was in poor condition.

Family members, when met in Kampung Baru, Mukim Siong near Baling, said the bus operator had promised a bus that was in good condition.

Instead, the bus was in bad shape, with the air-conditioning leaking and an engine that sounded weird, according to a survivor, Mohammad Hafifi Yahya, 19.

Mustaffa Ibrahim, 60, the father of 17-year-old Mohd Fahmi who died in the accident, said the family accepted it as fate, but was disappointed that the operator had provided a substandard bus.

Mustaffa, an imam at a mosque in Kedah, said all seven who died were related to each other.

Road Safety Department director-general Datuk Suret Singh said an investigation would be carried out and the report would be submitted to the Cabinet before the end of November.

Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Resarch director-general Prof Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah said a reconstruction analysis of the accident was under way.

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A mother’s concern: Nor Haizam tending to Mohd Ajril at the Selayang Hospital Saturday.

Co-ordinator’s last words – I’m okay, go help the others

KUALA LUMPUR: “I’m okay, go help the others.” These were the last words of Ustaz Mohd Zaidi Mohd Sufian when a few youths tried to help him after the bus accident at Genting Sempah on Friday.

He died in the 7.50pm accident.

Mohd Zaidi, 28, a religious teacher and co-ordinator of the trip, died on the way to the Selayang Hospital.

One of the survivors, Mohammad Hafifi Yahya, 19, said he was sitting behind Mohd Zaidi. “We were thrown out of the bus when it started rolling.

“I saw him near me and asked if he needed help, but he told me to help the others instead,” he said at the hospital yesterday.

“I could not see how badly he was injured as it was too dark,” said Mohammad Hafifi, who suffered a broken leg.

Student Mohd Akram Abd Mustafa, 19, survived the crash only to see the lifeless body of his younger brother, 17-year-old Mohd Fahmi Abd Mustafa.

“When the bus went out of control, I was sitting in the middle of the bus and he was towards the back.

“Both of us were flung out and I landed on a patch of grass by the side of the road,” he said.

Mohd Akram said his first instinct was to look for his brother.

“I frantically searched for him. Then I saw a figure in a drain and when I got closer, I realised it was Fahmi,” he said.

Nor Haizam Hasan, 37, the mother of Mohd Ajril Azizi Azhari, said when she first heard about the accident, she thought her son was playing a prank.

“He called me and said: ‘Mum, I am pinned under the bus,’” she said.

“I told him to stop joking but before he could reply, the line went dead.”

A neighbour then alerted her about the accident 15 minutes later.

Mohd Ajril survived but suffered injuries and has been warded at the Selayang Hospital.

Umno Youth executive member Datuk Sohaimi Shahadan, who visited the crash victims at the hospital yesterday, said monetary aid and wheelchairs would be provided to the victims and their families.

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Karak bus crash: Driver apologises to victims’ families

Owner of bus company yet to be found: JPJ

KUALA LUMPUR: The driver of the bus, which skidded and overturned at KM38 Genting Sempah on Friday, killing seven and injuring 39 others, apologised unreservedly to the families of the victims.

S. Muthumani, 36, said the accident was caused by brake failure and regretted what had happened.

"I wish to apologise to the families of the victims. I really did everything in my capacity to avoid the accident but since the brake failed, I was helpless," he said when met at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) here Sunday.

The driver who suffered a broken right leg and currently receiving treatment in HKL, was remanded for four days since Saturday, would be investigated under Section 41 of the Road Transport Act 1987, for reckless driving and causing death.

According to the driver, upon realising that the brake had failed, he applied the hand brake but that too did not help and efforts to engage the gear to minimize speed had also been futile.

"I tried to engage the gear but it too did not work because of the broken brake piping," he said.

The driver claimed that contrary to claims that he had no driving licence, his licence was suspended by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) claiming that it was not a valid licence.

"I had no choice but to continue driving because I have no other job and have three schooling children and my wife is not working," he said.

He added that though the bus company knew that he did not have a valid driving licence, it (company) allowed him to continue working.

"Since there were no drivers, the company sought my help to drive the bus to Genting," he said.

The ill-fated bus with 44 youths aged between 14 and 25 from several villages in Baling, Kedah, was on an educational trip and had left Kedah at 11pm Thursday before arriving in Genting Highlands at 8am Friday.

At 7pm on Friday, the entourage left Genting Highlands for Kampung Melayu Subang to participate in a homestay programme but was involved in the accident.

In the accident, seven people were killed, 17 seriously injured while 22 others escaped with minor injuries, including the two bus drivers.

Meanwhile, in Jerantut, Road Transport Department (JPJ) director-general Datuk Solah Mat Hassan said a thorough investigation was being carried out.

The investigation was focused on identifying the owner of the bus company, vehicle licencing and the bus driver, because records showed that the bus was chartered and its permit issued by the Commercial Vehicles Licencing Board (CVLB).

"We were confused by the bus and the wording on its exterior because it was similar in color to tourist buses, and the words "Trans Holiday" were present in the middle of the bus, but at the rear it was written "bas catar" (charter bus). We are looking into this matter," he said.

He spoke to reporters after closing the "Satu Komuniti Satu JPJ" (One Community One RTD) programme at Felda Lepar Utara, here Sunday.

Regarding the wording on the bus, he asked for cooperation from the Tourism Ministry to investigate whether the bus had a permit for tourist use or charter.

"If it is a charter bus, then it's a charter bus but if it was a tourist bus and students going for a holiday, there should be a tour guide," he said.

Besides that, he said investigations also involved the bus company owner who had yet to be found, although the company's location was already determined.

"We want to get further information from the owner on how the owner could hire a driver who, according to our records, has no valid driving licence to transport passengers from Baling to Kuala Lumpur," he added.

Solah said owners who allowed their vehicles to be driven by unlicenced individuals or those without a vocational driving licence, can be charged under Section 56 of the Road Transport Act 1987 which carries a fine of not more than RM2,000, or prison of not more than six months. - Bernama

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Driver never had a valid licence, Operator gave inferior bus

KUALA LUMPUR: Shock turned to utter anger for many when it was learnt that the bus driver involved in an accident at Genting Sempah which left seven dead has never had a valid driving licence. He only had a learner’s licence but was blacklisted 13 years ago.

Family members of those who died also want to know why a bus of inferior quality was used to ferry the group from the 4B Youth Movement in Kedah, when the operator had promised them a bus in good condition.

Other developments:

> Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha has ordered a probe, adding that he wants the driver to be charged and the employer to take full responsibility for the tragedy;

> The driver initially told police he had lost his licence, but a check with the Road Transport Department showed that he did not have one, says Selangor Traffic and Public Order chief Supt Che Husin Omar;

> A survivor says the bus air-conditioning system was faulty and the engine “sounded weird”; and

> The Health Ministry is considering a plan to provide air rescue service for accident victims, says minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

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Seven victims, one big grave

By G.C. TAN
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

BALING: The seven people killed in the bus crash at Genting Sempah on Friday were laid to rest in a mass grave at the Kampung Baru Muslim cemetery in Mukim Siong near here.

Thousands of people, including outsiders, came for the funeral, which began at 2.30pm yesterday and ended at 4.30pm.

Prayers were held at a nearby mosque before the bodies were taken to the burial site. There was a downpour before the funeral started but it slowed to a drizzle by the time it began.

Kampung Baru 4B chief Ahmad Shukri Ahmad Nawawi, 36, said he was the co-ordinator for the trip but was not able to make the trip at the last minute as he had to attend a course in Port Dickson.


Sombre moment: Villagers filling red soil to the seven coffins at Kampung Baru in Mukim Siong Saturday. — G.C. TAN / The Star

“The trip was to allow the students to have fun at the Genting Theme Park followed by sightseeing in Kuala Lumpur. The group began its journey at 11pm on Thursday and was scheduled to return to Kedah before midnight on Saturday,” he said.

His son, Amirul Izzuddin, 13, also went on the trip and was one of the survivors.

Amirul Izzuddin said they reached Genting Highlands at about 10am on Friday and boarded the bus at 6.30pm the same day.

“Many of them were asleep when the accident occurred.”

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Seven killed in Karak bus crash

GENTING HIGHLANDS: Six teenagers were killed and more than 20 injured when the bus they were travelling in crashed at Genting Sempah along the East Coast Expressway.

The 7.51pm accident, just before the Karak tunnel, involved a group of 44 from the 4B Youth Movement, Kampung Siong, Kedah, said Federal Territory Fire and Rescue Department assistant director (operations) Azizan Ismail.

The dead are Muhammad Amirul Mohamad, 13, Muhamad Khairy Muhammad, 16, Mohd Firdaus Rosedi, 16, Mohamad Yussuf Akhif, 16, Mohd Ridzuan Husin, 17 and Mohd Fahmi Mustafa, 17.

“Two people were thrown from the bus,” Azizan told reporters when met at the scene Friday night.

It is learnt that the driver lost control before hitting the road divider.

The driver and co-driver escaped with light injuries.

The group was returning to Kedah from Genting Highlands where they had spent the night.

Some of the passengers are seriously injured.

All the dead were taken to Kuala Lumpur Hospital while the injured were taken to the Bentong, Selayang and Kuala Lumpur hospitals.

Co-driver Abdul Ghani Ahmad, 56, said he was asleep when the crash happened.

“When I got up, the bus was rolling,” he added.

He said that the group had taken another bus to Genting Highlands, while the bus involved in the accident Friday night had come from Baling to pick them up.