The Attorney-General’s Chambers (A-GC) has instructed the police to classify investigations into the fatal crash at Simpang Renggam that claimed five lives, including a family of four, under offences of murder and reckless driving causing the death of road users.
Attorney General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar said the final decision on what charges should be brought would only be made after the A-GC has thoroughly reviewed the findings of the police investigation.
Speaking to the New Straits Times, Dusuki said the A-GC was deeply saddened by the tragedy and disappointed that fatal crashes involving reckless driving continue to occur despite strict legal action taken in previous cases, including prosecutions under murder charges.
“We have instructed that the investigation be classified as murder and reckless driving causing the death of road users,” he said.
What happened?
The fatal crash, which claimed the lives of five people including a family of four, has shocked Malaysians and sparked renewed calls for stricter action against reckless drivers.
The incident took place at KM27 of Jalan Renggam-Simpang on Monday and involved five vehicles. Police investigations indicate that two brothers, aged 19 and 22, were allegedly driving at high speeds prior to the collision, with investigators suspecting that they may have been racing.
Chronology of events
- At around 1pm on Monday, a crash involving five vehicles occurred at KM27 of Jalan Renggam-Simpang.
- A BMW 530e driven by the 22-year-old allegedly lost control before crashing into several vehicles, including a Toyota Vios carrying a family of four.
- All four occupants of the Toyota Vios were killed at the scene.
- The BMW driver later succumbed to his injuries and passed away while being transported to the hospital.
- Police arrested the BMW driver’s 19-year-old brother, who was driving a Mercedes-Benz A250 at the time, and remanded him for two days to assist investigations.
- The suspect is reported to be a university student studying in Singapore.
- Investigators believe the two brothers were racing before the collision occurred.
- Following the incident, the Attorney-General’s Chambers directed police to classify the investigation under offences of murder and reckless driving causing the death of road users.
Family of four killed in the crash
The four victims travelling in the Toyota Vios were identified as:
- Mohd Aiman Mohd Rashid, 36
- Nor Azlina Abd Latif, 33
- Semek Mat Soh, 73
- Nur Airish Syifa Sidek, 10
The family was travelling from Melaka to Kota Tinggi when the tragedy occurred.
Transport Minister calls for swift action
Following the incident, Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook urged police to expedite their investigation and submit the investigation paper to the A-GC as soon as possible.
In a statement, he stressed that the tragedy should never have happened and called for appropriate legal action against the driver found responsible.
“A driving licence does not allow someone to drive recklessly or carelessly in a manner that claims innocent lives,” he said.
Laid to rest in Terengganu
Earlier, the remains of the four family members were transported to Dungun, Terengganu, in separate hearses.
More than 200 relatives and friends gathered to pay their final respects before the victims were laid to rest together in a single grave at Al-Muktafi Billah Shah in Dungun.
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