Johor to set up special committee reviewing school safety after a fatal van crash killed a Year Two pupil in Batu Pahat.
ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Johor state government will set up a special committee to review safety aspects at schools following an accident in Batu Pahat yesterday in which a Year Two girl pupil was killed after being hit by a van outside her school.
State Education and Information Committee chairman Aznan Tamin said that, apart from looking into the cause of the incident, the special committee would also focus on improving existing safety guidelines and coordinating the implementation of safety measures at the state level
“The committee will also support the implementation of the Safe School Campaign, which covers not only road safety aspects but also the safety of students within school grounds,” he told reporters after attending the State Legislative Assembly sitting at the Sultan Ismail Building here today.
Aznan said the District Education Office (PPD) had also been reminded to tighten control over vehicles entering and leaving school premises by ensuring compliance with the standard operating procedures (SOP) in place.
All vehicles entering school premises must also be registered at the security post and comply with the stipulated guidelines to prevent any risks, he said.
Aznan said safety guidelines on vehicle movement at schools had been introduced in 1999 and were regularly updated in line with current needs.
He said the state government would further streamline the guidelines, including through the implementation of the Safe School Campaign scheduled to be launched early next month, covering aspects of student movement, traffic control and safety within school premises.
Meanwhile, he said the Social Welfare Department (JKM) would provide counselling services to the victim’s family and affected students to help them cope with the trauma caused by the incident.
Aznan said he would pay a visit to the victim’s family tomorrow and extend appropriate assistance.
Yesterday, an eight-year-old girl, Nur Aini Umairah Mohd Fareez, was killed after she was hit by a van in front of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seri Maimon in Parit Sulong.
Batu Pahat district police chief ACP Shahrulanuar Mushaddat Abdullah Sani said the accident was believed to have occurred at about 12.30 pm in front of the school’s main gate.
He said preliminary investigations by the district Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Division found that the accident occurred when a van, which had just delivered goods, was exiting the school’s main gate towards Jalan Simpang Lima-Parit Sulong.
