TAWAU: A school bus driver was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined RM50,000 or jailed eight months by the Magistrate’s Court after pleading guilty to driving under the influence of drugs which led to an accident and death of a motorcyclist last year.
The accused, Muliandi Surianshah, 37, who also pleaded guilty to three other traffic charges before Magistrate Dayang Aidaku Amira Aminuddin, was disqualified from driving, or applying for a driving licence for 10 years.
Muliandi committed the offence at Batu 3, Kalabakan Road, at around 1.30pm on Oct 14, 2024 while driving a school bus under the influence of syabu and being involved in an accident.
The accident resulted in the death of a motorcyclist, Ajmali Khan Bakht Zamin Shah, 19, a Pakistani passport holder.
Muliandi’s reckless driving while under the influence drugs led to the road accident and the death of another road user.
Based on the charge sheet, the accident occurred while Muliandi was riding his motorcycle from Kilang Kalabakan, Batu 8 Kapilit, and heading towards Pekan Kalabakan. Muliandi was believed to have been speeding on a bend, causing him to lose control.
The school bus he was driving entered the opposite lane and collided with a Honda Wave motorcycle ridden by the victim.
The young man was dragged under the bus’s right front tyre for a distance of 51 metres. The victim died at the scene.
At the time of the accident, Muliandi was suspected of driving under the influence of drugs. A blood specimen sent to the Chemistry Department confirmed the presence of syabu in his blood.
He was charged under Section 44(1)(a) of the Road Transport Act 1987 (Amendment 2020), which carries a jail term of up to 15 years and a maximum fine of RM100,000 upon conviction.
The father of five children also pleaded guilty to three other offences under Section 26(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for driving without a valid licence, Section 15(1)(a) for driving under the influence of drugs and Section 90(1) for driving without a valid motor vehicle licence and without insurance coverage since March 17, 2017.
Additionally, for these three offences, the court sentenced him to two months in prison to run concurrently with the 10-year sentence under Section 44(1)(a) with effect from the date of conviction.
The accused, who was unrepresented, appealed for a lighter sentence, citing his responsibility of caring for his five school going children and unemployed wife.
The prosecution was led by ASP Joan Lee from the Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Division.
