THE Ministry of Transport (MOT) will establish a Special Task Force to investigate the fatal crash that claimed the lives of nine members of the Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) in Teluk Intan, Perak.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that the task force would be formed "immediately" and will also act as an advisory panel to review and recommend improvements in road safety.
“The recommendations will focus on improving safety measures in this case. The task force will consist of experts and independent members who will advise the ministry on the necessary steps forward, in addition to the ongoing police investigation,” he said.
Loke was speaking at a press conference following the Cabinet Committee Meeting on Road Safety and Congestion, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He further revealed that the committee had agreed in principle to implement a new funding mechanism, which will see 50 per cent of fines collected through the Automated Awareness Safety System (AWAS) channelled back to the MOT for road safety initiatives.
“These funds will support various safety measures, including installing solar-powered LED lights in high-risk areas. For the first phase, we’ve identified three accident-prone zones along the Senawang–Air Keroh stretch, where fatal crashes involving lorries and buses claimed seven lives last year,” he said.
Loke added that these lighting installations would be expedited in hopes of reducing accidents in the targeted areas.
Tuesday’s incident occurred at KM15 on Jalan Sungai Manik–Sungai Lampam, where an FRU truck reportedly collided with a gravel-laden lorry.
The officers were returning to Ipoh after completing duties under Op Chariot in Teluk Intan. Eight officers died at the scene, with a ninth later succumbing to injuries at Teluk Intan Hospital.
In a poignant moment, one of the victims, Constable Akmal Wafi Annuar, had shared a video on social media hours before the crash, capturing fellow officers chatting inside the truck.
The footage, posted to WhatsApp and later circulated on TikTok under the handle @Namrunchannel, has since gone viral.
The deceased, all male and aged between 28 and 46, were identified as Sergeant S Perumal, 44; Sergeant Mohd Roslan Abd Rahim, 46; Corporal Mohd Pozli Jaudin, 41, Corporal Nurit Pandak, 34; Corporal Amiruddin Zabri, 38, Corporal Mohamad Hilmi Mohd Azlan, 38, Corporal Muhamad Akmal Muhamad, 35; Lance Corporal Damarrulan Abdul Latif, 33; and Constable Akmal Wafi Annuar, 28.
All the officers were attached to FRU Unit 5. Perak police confirmed that seven of the victims were Muslim, while the remaining two were of Indian and Orang Asli heritage.
The tragedy has drawn comparisons to a similar fatal crash involving FRU personnel over three decades ago. According to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), 11 FRU members from Troop 4B were killed in a 12-vehicle collision on 28 February 1990 at KM31 of the Kuala Lumpur–Karak Highway.
The convoy, en route to Kuala Terengganu for a training drill, was struck by an express bus that had lost its brakes while descending a hill. The force of the impact pushed the FRU truck beneath the bus, which was then hit by an oncoming fuel tanker.
Five officers died at the scene and six more succumbed to injuries at Kuala Lumpur Hospital. Four civilians also lost their lives in the crash. - May 13, 2025
