Latest news with #NoreenMajuTrading
New Straits Times
18-07-2025
- New Straits Times
MOT: Tour bus in Gerik crash operated illegally using another firm's permit
KUALA LUMPUR: The tour bus involved in the fatal crash in Gerik was found to have been operating illegally under a permit registered to another company unrelated to the incident. According to a preliminary report released by the Transport Ministry today, the bus was operated by Noreen Maju Trading, which did not hold a valid licence or permit under the Land Public Transport Act 2010. The report revealed that the permit belonged to Kenari Utara Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, the legitimate licence holder. However, documents and witness statements showed the permit had been unlawfully used by a third party through an unauthorised leasing or transfer arrangement—an offence under Section 49(1) of the Act. The breach was confirmed by enforcement action from the Land Public Transport Agency (Apad), which found that Noreen Maju Trading had conducted operations outside the legal framework. Separately, the report highlighted further irregularities involving Nuratiqah Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, a company with no direct link to the bus. An exemption application for a tour bus driver was submitted by the company, but investigations found the name provided did not match the person behind the wheel on the day of the incident. Preliminary checks confirmed that the driver named in the permit held a valid Competent Driving Licence (CDL) and Public Service Vehicle (PSV) licence. However, the report did not state what the exemption was for. It said the application was approved via the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry's (Motac) online system without verifying the submitted details or the applicant's link to the operation, resulting in regulatory approval for an unauthorised operation. The report added that the actual driver did not possess a valid CDL or PSV licence, which it says is worrying. "This failure reflects weaknesses in the operator's driver selection, verification, and deployment system, and also indicates a potential systemic breach of licensing conditions and reporting requirements to the regulatory authorities." The report concluded that such practices reflected serious compliance failures and undermined governance integrity within the tourism public transport sector. On June 9, a tour bus carrying 42 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students from Jerteh, Terengganu, to Tanjung Malim, Perak, collided with a Perodua Alza MPV along the East-West Highway (JRTB) near Tasik Banding, Gerik. Fifteen students were killed in the crash. Transport Minister Anthony Loke later announced on June 11 that all permits held by the tour bus operator involved in the crash were
New Straits Times
18-07-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Bus companies in Gerik crash failed basic safety standards, says MOT
KUALA LUMPUR: Three companies involved in the fatal bus crash in Gerik have been found to be non-compliant with transport safety regulations, according to a preliminary investigation report by the Transport Ministry. The companies, Kenari Utara Travel & Tours, Noreen Maju Trading and Nuratiqah Travel & Tours were audited by the Road Transport Department (RTD) under the Inspection and Safety Audit from June 9 to 11. All three companies were rated non-compliant, scoring audit marks as low as 10 per cent to 12 per cent, and were found to have failed to meet all mandatory requirements under the Industrial Code of Practice safety standards. "Kenari Utara Travel held a valid operating licence, but investigations revealed that it had unlawfully leased the licence to another company without approval, in breach of Section 49(1) of Act 715. "The operating licence was revoked by the Land Public Transport Agency on June 13," the report said. Noreen Maju was found to be operating a tour bus without a valid permit, using an unauthorised leasing arrangement. Meanwhile, Nuratiqah Travel had submitted a request to the Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry for an exemption from using a tourist guide for the trip, despite not being directly involved in the vehicle's operation.
