Tragic UPSI Bus Crash: 15 Students Killed, Nation Mourns
KUALA LUMPUR: The chartered bus tragedy that claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students has elicited an outpouring of grief on social media from Cabinet members and people from all walks of life.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek extended her condolences to the families of the victims and prayed that they be granted strength and resilience in facing this devastating tragedy.
'Let us all pray that the souls of those who perished are forgiven, granted honour, and placed among His righteous and faithful servants,' she said in a Facebook post.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar described the deaths of the victims as not only a loss to their families but also to the entire ummah.
'I was devastated to learn that victims were students returning to UPSI after the Aidiladha break. They were the fi sabilillah, seekers of knowledge for the sake of Allah,' he said.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang, and Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu also extended their condolences on their respective official social media accounts.
Meanwhile, Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives Deputy Minister Datuk Seri R. Ramanan expressed hope that the injured and surviving victims would have a speedy recovery.
'I extend my deepest condolences to the families of those affected by this incident. May they be granted the strength and resilience they need during this challenging time. To the students still receiving treatment, I pray that everything goes smoothly for you,' he said.
Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail expressed sympathy to the victims' families on Facebook.
'May the families of the victims be granted strength and perseverance in facing this tremendous trial. To those who are still receiving treatment, I pray for a swift and complete recovery,' he said.
The Office of the Perak State Secretary also extended its condolences and prayed that the souls of the victims be blessed with Allah SWT's mercy.
Meanwhile, checks on X (formerly Twitter) found that the majority of users poured out messages of grief and sympathy over the painful ordeal, with 'UPSI' and the hashtag '#UPSIberduka' trending on the platform.
'Allahuakbar... it's heartbreaking to read about the UPSI students who were involved in the accident and lost their lives. They were their families' hope for a degree. May their loved ones find strength to endure this sorrowful and painful time,' wrote user @ing_naJ.
Another user of the app, @DaliliAziz, said: 'Innalillahiwainnailaihirojiuun... My heart aches as I read this news because it could have been me on that bus, on that road, at the exact time... I often travel by night bus. May the deceased be granted forgiveness and placed among the righteous... Amin.'
Perak police chief Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin confirmed that 15 UPSI students were killed in the crash, which involved the bus and a multi-purpose vehicle on the East-West Highway in Banun, near Tasik Banding, approximately 57 kilometres from Gerik, Perak.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
Vertical schools in housing projects to help reduce transport costs, says PM Anwar
KUALA LUMPUR: The integration of a vertical school concept within the Rumah Bakat Madani housing project in Penang is expected to enhance student safety and ease the transportation cost burden on families, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The Prime Minister said that incorporating educational elements into residential development is part of the Madani government's initiative to build compassionate neighbourhoods and foster community development based on Madani values. Anwar said this approach underscores the government's commitment to promoting holistic well-being for the people, rather than focusing solely on physical structures and architectural design. "The planned vertical school element, integrated with the housing project, aims to ensure student safety, and I believe it can also help families save on transportation costs,' he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday (June 11). He also stressed that the Madani government placed strong emphasis on expediting project approvals through collaboration across ministries, agencies and with the involvement of state governments. Anwar said the project was an initiative involving private developer SkyWorld, aimed at enabling low- and middle-income groups to own affordable homes. "I was informed that the development will also include essential infrastructure and comprehensive facilities such as schools and childcare centres, surau, commercial spaces, as well as landscaped areas and parks,' he said. Earlier, the Prime Minister attended a presentation session on the project concept with the developer's representatives in Putrajaya.- Bernama
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
DOSM elected to chair Asean statistics working group for 2026–2027
PUTRAJAYA: The Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) has been unanimously elected as chair of the Working Group on Data Sharing, Analysis, Dissemination and Communication of Statistics (WGDSA) for the 2026–2027 term. The decision was made at the 23rd Meeting of the WGDSA (WGDSA23), which began yesterday in Putrajaya. The two-day meeting brought together 18 delegates from Asean Member States (AMS) and the Asean Secretariat (Aseanstats), with Myanmar participating virtually. The gathering aimed to strengthen regional statistical cooperation, enhance data transparency and improve communication strategies under the ASEAN Community Statistical System (ACSS). Chief statistician and ACSS15 chairman, Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin, said in a statement today that the appointment reflected the continued trust of member states in Malaysia's active role in advancing the Asean statistical system. He reaffirmed Malaysia's commitment to fostering innovation, inclusivity and resilience in the regional statistical ecosystem, stressing the importance of accessible, reliable and timely statistics in supporting evidence-based policymaking and Asean's integration and development goals. "As we move forward together, it is our collective responsibility to ensure that statistics are communicated clearly, shared meaningfully and used effectively to support Asean's progress. "Malaysia, as Asean chair for 2025, remains committed to promoting statistical cooperation, capacity building and innovation across the region," he said. Discussions at the meeting focused on the implementation of the WGDSA Multi-Year Plan (MYP), expansion of the Asean Statistical Indicators – Consolidated Template (ASI-CT), integration of Application Programming Interfaces (API) for real-time data access, and increased statistical outreach through initiatives such as the Asean Virtual Learning Academy and targeted awareness programmes. Mohd Uzir said the meeting also discussed enhancements to the ASICT data collection template for indicators in areas such as micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the manufacturing sector, inflation, population and employment. A key milestone of WGDSA23 was the presentation of Malaysia's preliminary 2025 Action Plan for the Awareness Initiative - an ACSS Annual Priority under the Asean Economic Community (AEC) reporting framework. "The initiative was previously endorsed by the Heads of National Statistical Offices (NSOs) at the 14th Session of the Asean Community Statistical System (ACSS14) in Laos. "As the lead country, Malaysia announced the formation of a dedicated Task Force on Statistical Awareness and Engagement under WGDSA to spearhead its implementation," he said. The outcomes of WGDSA23 will directly inform the ACSS Action Plan 2026–2030, aligned with the broader Asean Community's post-2025 vision, reinforcing the role of statistics in regional integration and policy development.
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Why these endless road tragedies?
It has happened again, just as road safety experts had warned. Fifteen lives were lost on Monday in a collision between a tour bus ferrying Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris students and a Perodua Alza multipurpose vehicle on the East-West Highway in Gerik, Perak. Sultan of Perak Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah has decreed improvements to law enforcement. The authorities must follow the royal decree to the letter to avoid such tragedies. The mangled remains of what was once a tour bus are not just a tragic image of the past; they might be images of many futures if the authorities keep doing the same thing. We are told that the Road Transport Department (JPJ) is conducting a safety inspection, and an audit on the express bus and its operator. Let's be blunt: this is after the fact. For sure, such audits will arm the authorities with evidence to make every individual, from the operator to the driver, accountable should they be found to have broken any laws. But conducting an audit is one thing, and acting on the findings is another. Just like discovering that the tour bus had 21 traffic summonses and the driver 18 and still allowing both to be on the road. From Aug 13, 2007, to Nov 5, 2022, there have been seven major bus crashes that claimed 124 lives. Were audits conducted on these buses and their operators? If so, how many operators have been charged in court or had their businesses suspended? With tragedies like this happening with troubling frequency, the people have the right to know. But JPJ must not stop at the audit of the tour bus and its operator. It is time for JPJ to go on a nationwide inspection and audit of all heavy vehicles and their operators. Transport Minister Anthony Loke has told the media that the tour bus had no seat belts for passengers. To discover this after a tragedy is a tragedy itself. Had an audit been done, the bus operator could have been compelled to install seat belts even though the bus was built before the seat-belt law came into force. There shouldn't be an exception for passenger buses. The minister also told the press that dashboard cameras and speed limiters are in the process of being made mandatory. The "in the process" is troubling, to say the least. We have heard this before from a former transport minister. Nothing happened. But what happened were tragedies after tragedies. Operators will resist, because more trips mean more profits. If the aim is to save lives, then the authorities must throw the statute book at them. The fear appears to be that such devices can easily be disabled by the operators as the owners of lorries are already doing it to speed limiters and Global Positioning System. But that should not be a reason for not installing the devices. The law is there; just haul the operators to court. Operators who allow their heavy vehicles to turn into killer machines must be put out of business. Period.
