Perak fatal bus crash: Tour company fined $6,254 for using illegal permit
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A total of 15 students died when their chartered bus overturned after colliding with an MPV on a highway near Gerik town.
PHOTO: THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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PUTRAJAYA – Malaysian tour company Kenari Utara Travel and Tours pleaded guilty to two charges – selling a tour bus with registration number PLD 8892 and leasing the vehicle’s permit to Noreen Maju Trading – on Nov 3, Malay daily Sinar Harian reported.
Noreen Maju Trading is an unlicensed tour operator under the Tourism Industry Act 1992, and the bus was involved in a fatal accident while transporting Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students
The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry said in a statement on Nov 6 that a Gerik Magistrate’s Court in Perak convicted Kenari Utara Travel and Tours on Nov 3 of the charges under Regulation 6(1)(f) of the Tourism Industry Regulations 1992.
The company violated its licence conditions by transacting with an unlicensed entity such as Noreen Maju Trading.
“The bus, PLD 8892, operated by Noreen Maju Trading, was involved in a fatal accident in Gerik while transporting UPSI students back to the Tanjung Malim campus,” the ministry said in its statement on Nov 6.
“Magistrate Muhammad Firdaus Nor Azlan imposed a fine of RM10,000 for each charge, totalling RM20,000 (S$6,254),” it added. “Failure to pay the fine may result in imprisonment for up to five years.”
The case was prosecuted by Deputy Public Prosecutor Siti Zulaikha Mahadi, alongside Tourism Ministry prosecuting officer Nurul Hidayah Aman.
Previously, Sinar Harian reported that 15 students were confirmed dead, while others sustained injuries and received treatment at Gerik Hospital.
The accident, which occurred at around 1am on Jalan Raya Timur-Barat Banun, Gerik, happened when the bus collided with the rear of a multi-purpose vehicle, lost control and overturned into the road divider.
The 40-year-old bus driver and a 54-year-old attendant were also injured.
The ministry emphasised that violations of the Act and its regulations are serious criminal offences.
“The ministry is committed to taking strict action against any party that endangers the safety and integrity of the national tourism industry,” the statement added. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
