KOTA BARU: The company that operates the bus involved in the accident on the East-West Highway in Gerik, Perak, denies allegations that a lorry driver was one of the two drivers for the vehicle.
The accident claimed the lives of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students.
Syarikat Kenari Utara operations officer Mohd Nazri Nawi dismissed the allegations, saying they carried out a proper vetting process before hiring the driver to replace one of the original drivers, who was on leave.
"I don't know how this allegation surfaced or who it was who claimed that we hired a lorry driver as the replacement driver. We have never hired drivers without proper vetting.
"We admit that the replacement driver was from another bus company – but he is an experienced bus driver, not a lorry driver as alleged," he told reporters at the Noreen Group operations office in Tunjong here on Monday (June 9).
Mohd Nazri said both drivers in the bus in ferrying the UPSI students have clean records and did not use illegal substances.
He added that the first driver, who works for his company, suffered a broken arm while the replacement driver is in critical condition.
"I am not sure who was behind the wheel when the incident happened," he said.
He also said he hoped the public will stop making speculation about the accident and allow authorities to conduct the investigation, adding that they would give full cooperation. – Bernama
