POLICE have recorded a statement from the owner of the bus company involved in the fatal crash that claimed 15 lives near Tasik Banding on Monday.
The bus, carrying students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), collided with a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) at around 1am at Kilometre 53 of the East–West Highway (Jalan Raya Timur-Barat) near Gerik.
Gerik acting district police chief Deputy Superintendent Muhammad Firdaus Abdullah said the individual, a man in his 50s, was summoned to assist investigations.
“He came to the Gerik District Police Headquarters at 10.30pm last night (Wednesday). The session lasted approximately one hour and 30 minutes,” he confirmed when contacted on Thursday.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook earlier revealed that the bus company, based in Kedah, had committed two serious violations. The firm was found to have sublet its operating permit to a third party in Kelantan for RM500 a month – a practice that contravenes transport regulations.
As a result, the company’s operating permit was revoked with immediate effect.
The crash occurred when the chartered tour bus carrying 42 UPSI students reportedly lost control and collided with the MPV, which was carrying four members of the same family.
Fifteen UPSI students – comprising five men and ten women – were killed in the incident. The MPV’s driver and passengers sustained injuries.
Investigations into the exact cause of the crash are ongoing, as authorities continue to examine operational failures and enforcement lapses that may have contributed to the tragedy. - June 12, 2025
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