FRU crash: Gravel-laden lorry has no valid permit to carry the load
THE Ministry of Transport (MOT) today revealed that the gravel-laden lorry involved in the tragic accident involving a Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) truck on Jalan Chikus–Sungai Lampam, Teluk Intan, last month, did not have the permission to carry the load.
Citing the initial report of the investigation into the crash, it said the tipper lorry is only allowed to carry coal, but at the time of the incident, it was carrying 40,960 kilogrammes of gravel, which exceeded 70 per cent of the permitted load limit.
The lorry was also found not equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) as required by the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD).
'The lorry violated the conditions of the Written Authorisation License provided under Section 57 of the Land Public Transport Act 2010,' according to the report.
In the accident at 8.54 am on May 13, nine FRU members were killed, while nine others were injured after the FRU truck they were travelling in collided with the tipper lorry.
The report also stated that further investigations by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) are being carried out, with the investigation papers to be submitted to the prosecution for further action.
'The absence of seat belts and the design of the 'bench' seats at the back of the FRU lorry contributed to the high number of casualties,' according to the report.
Full story to follow.
According to the report, the mechanism of injury to the victims in the FRU lorry was also exacerbated by the presence of unrestrained objects in the cabin that could potentially become secondary projectiles during the collision.
'The combination of the absence of a restraint system and the presence of unrestrained objects is believed to be a major contributing factor to the high rate of serious injuries and fatalities in this incident.
'In addition, the investigation also found that there was no indication of the existence of seatbelt facilities in the front seats, including the driver and front passenger of the FRU lorry,' stated the report.
It said the bench-type seats in the FRU truck, which accommodate most of the passengers, were also believed not to meet the specifications of United Nations (UN) Regulation No. 17 or UN Regulation No. 80.
The investigation also found that the tipper lorry entered the opposite lane, which was the lane being travelled by the FRU convoy.
'As a result of the collision, both lorries overturned onto their left sides and ended up on their sides. The incident occurred in good weather conditions and the road surface was dry,' according to the report.
In addition, there was no evidence to indicate that any mechanical failure directly contributed to the accident.
'Overall, based on the technical inspection, the main mechanical systems such as brakes, tyres, steering and suspension of both lorries were found to be in satisfactory condition and comply with the set standards,' the report said. — BERNAMA
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Horrific Gerik crash exposes dark truth behind bus permit leasing
KOTA BARU: Thousands of express and tour buses are operating illegally nationwide using leased permits, a practice that contravenes the Land Public Transport Act 2010, the Bumiputera Express Bus Operators Association of Malaysia (PPBBM) said. PPBBM chairman Zainal Abidin Mehat said the issue of leasing public transport bus permits has been ongoing for some time. However, it only came to light following the recent fatal crash involving a tour bus carrying students from Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI) along the East–West Highway near Gerik, which claimed 15 lives. Zainal said some bus operators conduct business without any valid permit by purchasing second-hand buses and operating them under permits obtained from various other companies. This, he said, is because many bus operators, most of whom are former bus drivers, are unwilling to apply for permits due to the high upfront cost and the numerous procedures required by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) or the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD). "There are even companies that own dozens or hundreds of permits and take advantage by leasing them out, whether for express or tour buses, at a rate of RM500 per month per permit, raking in tens of thousands of ringgit monthly," he said. Zainal said that the practice of leasing express and tour bus permits has been going on for years. "I often receive complaints about this issue, but it remains unresolved because there is both supply and demand in the permit leasing market. "The modus operandi involves bus operators purchasing second-hand buses over 10 years old for between RM70,000 and RM100,000, repainting them to appear new and attractive, and using them as tour or express buses. "To avoid dealing directly with APAD or MOTAC, they simply lease permits from companies offering such services, paying RM500 a month," he told Berita Harian. Zainal said that due to high demand, some bus companies that have more than 100 express or tour bus permits lease out nearly all of them. These companies retain only a few permits for their own use to avoid detection. "Imagine a company with 100 permits earning RM500 per permit every month, they can easily make tens of thousands of ringgit monthly," he said. Jega AFP, [13/6/2025 10:58 AM] He added that many of those leasing permits are former bus drivers who, after saving up some money, venture into bus operations. "They lack the proper knowledge to become legitimate operators and are only chasing fast money, with little concern for the safety of future passengers. "If the fatal crash on the Gerik-Jeli road hadn't occurred, this issue might never have been exposed, even though in reality it involves thousands of buses across the country. "They're also crafty, during APAD enforcement operations, these buses are kept off the road temporarily to avoid detection for operating under permits belonging to other companies. "That's why sometimes you'll see one company name on the bus body and another on the permit," he said. He urged the government to take firmer and more drastic action against bus operators using leased permits. "We welcome the move by the Transport Ministry to revoke the licences of bus companies found to have leased out their permits," he said. On Monday, fifteen undergraduate students were killed in an accident when the bus they were travelling in rear-ended a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) along the East–West Highway in Gerik. The bus then flipped onto its left side and came to rest against the metal guardrails. Transport Minister Anthony Loke said during a press conference on Wednesday that all permits held by the He said the company had committed two serious offences namely leasing its permits to third parties and failing to install and activate the Global Positioning System (GPS).
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Beyond the Headlines: Road safety, UPSI-FRU crash & Tan Sri 'Sukuk' [WATCH]
KUALA LUMPUR: This episode of Beyond the Headlines revisits another tragic highway crash. Even as the nation mourns the May 13 Teluk Intan tragedy that killed 9 FRU policemen in a crash involving an overloaded lorry, another deadly incident on June 9 claimed 15 lives. This time, a bus carrying Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students crashed as they returned to campus after the Aidiladha holidays. Former transport minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong joins the programme to discuss the urgent need to improve road safety and prevent such fatal accidents. Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) chairman Professor Dr Wong Shaw Voon also weighs in, stressing the need to upgrade technology in vehicle safety and maintenance — especially for public and commercial transport. The latest tragedy has triggered public outrage and renewed scrutiny of road safety enforcement and vehicle compliance. Also in this episode, the show looks into the RM143 million corruption scandal involving a Tan Sri businessman, who finally had his statement recorded by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) after a week-long delay due to hospitalisation. In one of the country's biggest financial probes in recent years, the MACC is ramping up investigations into the alleged misappropriation of sukuk funds originally meant for a major Klang Valley highway project. Catch the full discussion on the New Straits Times' YouTube channel, NSTOnline.
New Straits Times
6 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Fatal heavy vehicle crashes expose systemic safety flaws
KUALA LUMPUR: Fatal crashes in Teluk Intan and Gerik involving heavy vehicles that failed safety audits underscore systemic flaws that are all too familiar, said transport and road safety experts. Transport policy expert Wan Agyl Wan Hassan said the revelations on the fatal crash involving a lorry and a Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) truck, as well as the bus accident in Gerik, Perak, that killed 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris students, were hardly shocking. "They are devastatingly familiar. We've seen violations that should have triggered red flags and suspensions, yet somehow, these vehicles were still allowed to operate. "The crash in Teluk Intan involving FRU personnel and the Gerik bus tragedy are not isolated lapses. "They are evidence of a system that is structurally broken," said Wan Agyl, founder of transport think tank MY Mobility Vision. Yesterday, the task force probing the FRU accident released its preliminary report, showing that the tipper lorry involved was significantly overloaded. The report, released on the Transport Ministry's website, said investigations uncovered gaps in the safety management and operational practices of the vehicle. Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the operator of the bus involved in the Gerik crash had failed to comply with all seven mandatory safety audit criteria under the Road Transport Department's (RTD) Inspection and Safety Audit. He said a comprehensive audit conducted by the RTD found the operator had neglected critical safety protocols. LACK OF INSTITUTIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY Wan Agyl said what was most troubling is that the tipper lorry and the bus had already been flagged as non-compliant before the crashes. This, he said, shows that these were not hidden risks but known risks and direct threats to life. He said the main issue lies in the lack of system-wide enforcement, real-time risk detection and institutional accountability. He said multiple agencies — including RTD, the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad), Puspakom, Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research and Occupational Safety and Health Department — operate in silos, where data is not shared promptly. GOVERNMENT VEHICLES MUST SET GOLD STANDARD He proposed five steps to overcome issues involving heavy vehicles, including centralising enforcement under a single lead agency with full authority over planning, licensing, inspections and compliance — much like a reformed version of the now-defunct Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD). He also proposed making safety audits binding instead of cosmetic. "If companies fail RTD's audit, their operating licence should be suspended immediately; no exceptions. "Passing these audits must be a condition to stay on the road," he said. He added that GPS tracking and tamper-proof safety technology for commercial vehicles should be mandated, including speed limiters and dashcams with live data access by authorities. No operator, he said, should be allowed to "switch off" visibility. "As I've mentioned many times, there should also be a reform of RTD's demerit system and integrate it with a national digital registry of high-risk drivers and operators, so patterns of repeat offences are flagged early before tragedy occurs." He said government vehicles should be treated equally, noting that the FRU truck had no seatbelts or headrests. "Government fleets must set the gold standard in compliance." NOT ISOLATED INCIDENTS Echoing the same sentiment, Universiti Putra Malaysia's Road Safety Research Centre head, Associate Professor Dr Law Teik Hua, said the recent fatal crashes are not isolated incidents but rather symptomatic of broader, systemic failure in Malaysia's transport enforcement and regulatory ecosystem. While each case may involve specific failings, such as overloading, missing seatbelts or poor vehicle maintenance, Law said they collectively point to deep-rooted issues in enforcement consistency, compliance monitoring and institutional accountability. He said oversight by agencies such as RTD, Apad and Puspakom frequently lacked coordination and consistency. "Overloaded lorries, non-compliant vehicles and unsafe driving practices often go undetected until after accidents occur. "Enforcement efforts tend to be reactive rather than preventive." He said many regulations, particularly those governing vehicle safety features, inspection protocols and cargo limits, have not kept pace with real-world transport risks. "For example, mandatory seatbelts for all government vehicles or real-time monitoring systems are not uniformly enforced. "There is also little integration of enforcement data across agencies, allowing high-risk drivers or repeat offenders to continue operating without triggering red flags. "A lack of public transparency further undermines accountability." Transport analyst Dr Rosli Azad Khan said the government should consider forming an independent road safety oversight commission to audit RTD, Puspakom and commercial vehicle operators without conflict of interest. "This commission must have access to the vehicles' database in the same way that traffic police have to enforce the law and compliance," he said. He called for public whistleblower channels to encourage the public and employees in transport companies to report unsafe practices, with legal protection for whistle-blowers. "There must be zero tolerance for heavy vehicles that fail safety inspections to be on the road," he said. He added that heavy vehicle operators with failed safety audits should be made public to pressure companies to comply. Transparency, he said, would give passengers and road users safety information.
