MOHD Lutfi Radzi, the driver of the car involved in the tragic Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) bus crash last month, says the horrifying moment continues to haunt him—especially when driving at night.
“Every time I’m behind the wheel at night and I see the lights of a bus trailing behind me, I remember what happened to us on 9 June,” said Mohd Lutfi, 37, when met at his home in Baling on Tuesday.
He was speaking during a visit by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, who presented him with RM10,000 in aid under the government’s Ziarah Madani Peduli programme.
The horrific accident at Kilometre 53 of the East-West Highway (Jalan Raya Timur-Barat) near Gerik, Perak, claimed the lives of 15 UPSI students after the chartered bus they were travelling in crashed into a road divider.
The students had been returning to campus in Tanjung Malim after spending the Hari Raya Aidiladha holidays in their respective hometowns.
Mohd Lutfi, who is a teacher at Sekolah Kebangsaan Malau, Baling, said the crash site remains a familiar and painful landmark for his family.
“That road is our regular route when we visit my wife’s hometown in Kemaman, Terengganu. I know I’ll keep reliving it every time we pass by,” he said.
His wife, Nurul Ain Zakaria, 36, a fellow teacher at SK Tembak, sustained five broken ribs. Their six-year-old daughter, Nur Aisyah Nafisah, suffered a fractured knee, while their two-year-old son, Muhammad Ahsan Nafis, sustained bruises and cuts to his head and body. Mohd Lutfi himself suffered chest and shoulder injuries.
He expressed gratitude for the improvement in his family’s condition and the public support they have received.
“Thank you to all Malaysians for your prayers. My wife is getting better, though she’s been advised not to do any heavy work. Aisyah is now able to move a bit more and sleep well.”
“She can walk again, though not on one leg, and my wife has started doing light chores like sweeping. Our youngest only had bruises and cuts, and I sustained only minor injuries,” he added.
Mohd Lutfi recounted how their vehicle spun several times after being rear-ended by the bus, before crashing into a drain on the opposite lane.
The trial and healing process, he said, continues for his family. Both his wife and daughter remain on leave from school and are expected to return in September. - July 23, 2025
