PUTRAJAYA: The company which owns the lorry involved in the crash that killed nine Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) personnel on Tuesday (May 13) is being investigated under the Road Transport Act 1987, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the probe is being carried out by the Transport Ministry, Puspakom and the Road Transport Department (JPJ) following calls from the public for the company to be held responsible.
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At the same time, Ahmad Zahid, who chairs the Cabinet committee on road safety and congestion, said current laws are sufficient in holding companies accountable for accidents caused by their vehicles.
“The driver has been remanded for four days as part of the police and JPJ investigation.
"But for the lorry’s owner, the investigation will be carried out by Puspakom under the Road Transport Act,” Ahmad Zahid told reporters on Thursday (May 15).
“We will leave this investigation to the Transport Ministry and JPJ as the public feels that the lorry’s owner and the company behind it must be investigated and held responsible,” he said after an event to commemorate high-performing officers from the Rural Regional Development Ministry, which he also heads.
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“The current laws are enough to investigate owners and companies. It's just that these laws must be better enforced,” he said when asked if the law needs to be amended to hold companies liable for such accidents.
On Tuesday, the lorry that was transporting gravel crashed into a truck carrying 18 members of the FRU who were travelling from Teluk Intan to Ipoh. The crash killed nine and seriously injured the rest.
Later on Tuesday, Ahmad Zahid said initial investigations found that the lorry’s steering system had failed, causing it to hit the police vehicle.
The lorry’s driver has been remanded for four days as part of the police investigation.
Following the crash, the public and road transport experts have called for stricter laws to hold the owners of lorries responsible should their faulty vehicles cause accidents.
