Bus Company Should Also Be Made Accountable For Tragedy, Law Minister Says
The company operating the bus involved in the Gerik-Jeli highway crash that killed 15 university students should also be held accountable, not just the driver, according to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
Azalina stressed the need for broader legal accountability in fatal incidents, arguing that companies should no longer be able to deflect blame onto employees alone.
'Sometimes when a tragedy happens, the company just blames the driver. But who owns the vehicle? Who sets the operational standards? The company must be held responsible,' she said.
Azalina pointed to the UK's Corporate Manslaughter Act as a possible model for Malaysia. If implemented, the proposed law would allow top-level executives including Chief Executive Officers, engineers and board members, to be prosecuted when systemic negligence leads to loss of life.
'This is what corporate manslaughter means. If a bridge collapses or a bus crashes, and the cause is poor maintenance or mismanagement, the whole organisation, not just the driver, should be held to account,' she said.
Her remarks follow the court appearance of the bus driver, who was charged with dangerous driving after June 9's crash, which claimed the lives of students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris.
Azalina added that adopting such legislation would be a critical step toward strengthening corporate governance and delivering justice for victims, preventing companies from 'washing their hands' of responsibility.
'If we are serious about preventing future tragedies, we must make sure accountability starts at the top,' she said. Related
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Bus Company Should Also Be Made Accountable For Tragedy, Law Minister Says
The company operating the bus involved in the Gerik-Jeli highway crash that killed 15 university students should also be held accountable, not just the driver, according to Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said. Azalina stressed the need for broader legal accountability in fatal incidents, arguing that companies should no longer be able to deflect blame onto employees alone. 'Sometimes when a tragedy happens, the company just blames the driver. But who owns the vehicle? Who sets the operational standards? The company must be held responsible,' she said. Azalina pointed to the UK's Corporate Manslaughter Act as a possible model for Malaysia. If implemented, the proposed law would allow top-level executives including Chief Executive Officers, engineers and board members, to be prosecuted when systemic negligence leads to loss of life. 'This is what corporate manslaughter means. If a bridge collapses or a bus crashes, and the cause is poor maintenance or mismanagement, the whole organisation, not just the driver, should be held to account,' she said. Her remarks follow the court appearance of the bus driver, who was charged with dangerous driving after June 9's crash, which claimed the lives of students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris. Azalina added that adopting such legislation would be a critical step toward strengthening corporate governance and delivering justice for victims, preventing companies from 'washing their hands' of responsibility. 'If we are serious about preventing future tragedies, we must make sure accountability starts at the top,' she said. Related
