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THE devastating bus crash that claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students in Gerik, Perak, has left the nation in mourning and renewed urgent calls for accountability and meaningful reform.
The noble call by Sultan of Pahang, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, for statewide prayers in which all mosques in Pahang have been directed to hold prayers (solat jenazah ghaib) for the deceased and to recite the ‘yasin’ and ‘tahlil’ after Maghrib prayers this evening, expresses the level of grief felt across the nation.
“Let us all pray for the recovery of those still receiving treatment and that the state of Pahang, in particular, be spared from disasters and harm,” said Pahang Mufti Datuk Dr Asmadi Mohamed Naim in a statement.
The fatal collision, which took place on 9 June, saw a chartered bus carrying students from Jertih to UPSI’s main campus in Tanjung Malim overturn after colliding with a Perodua Alza on the East–West Highway. In addition to the 15 lives lost, 33 others sustained injuries, including the drivers and passengers of both vehicles.
In the aftermath, familiar scenes have unfolded. Condolences from officials, statements of intent, and the usual reassurances that safety will be taken more seriously this time.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook announced plans to enforce mandatory installation and compliance with speed limiters in heavy vehicles.
But this promise is not new.
The requirement for speed limiters – electronic devices that restrict a vehicle’s maximum speed – was introduced as early as 2015 under the Road Transport Act 1987.
It applies to express and school buses, lorries exceeding 7.5 tonnes, and certain categories of commercial vehicles. The policy was meant to reduce fatalities in precisely the kind of crash we saw in Gerik.
Yet enforcement remains the Achilles’ heel. Operators are reportedly known to remove the devices once vehicles clear inspections at Puspakom, only to reinstall them temporarily during checks. It is a dangerous game of cat and mouse that continues with little consequence.
Violations can lead to fines, licence suspensions, or even the banning of vehicles from service – but these penalties are inconsistently applied.
Even more troubling is the persistent resistance from within the transport industry, citing cost concerns and the perceived unreliability of the devices.
Such objections pale in comparison to the lives lost. The students who perished in the crash were not just statistics – they were children, siblings, and future educators.
This tragedy, like too many before it, was preventable.
Experts have long argued that proper enforcement of existing regulations, including speed limiter compliance, could significantly reduce fatal accidents involving heavy vehicles.
If the technology exists and the law supports it, what more is needed?
The excuse of cost, convenience, or resistance from operators can no longer stand in the way of public safety.
The grief of families and the anguish of a nation demand more than rhetoric. They demand immediate and uncompromising action.
Let the memory of the UPSI students compel Malaysia to turn mourning into resolve. The government must now demonstrate that lessons have been learned – and that future tragedies can, and will, be prevented.
The tears of the nation must not fall in vain. - June 12, 2025
