IPOH: Police have advised the driver of the bus carrying Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students, which resulted in a fatal crash claiming 15 lives, to refrain from making any public comments until a formal statement is recorded, says Comm Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin.
The Perak police chief stated that premature statements could disrupt the ongoing investigation.
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"This is a highly sensitive case involving many parties, and we urge the bus driver to wait for the proper process to take place.
"He has every right to speak, but patience is key in such sensitive cases.
"Many technical aspects such as road conditions, vehicle operators, and more are still being examined," he said at a press conference at the state police contingent headquarters today (June 11).
Comm Noor Hisam mentioned that they have yet to record a statement from the driver, who is still admitted at Taiping Hospital for injuries to his hand.
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He noted that there are still many questions surrounding the bus driver. Regarding the driver’s health condition, Comm Noor Hisam said the investigating officer is closely monitoring the situation with the hospital.
"Based on what we observed, his arm injury stretches from the pinky finger to the elbow. However, we will await an official medical report.
"We are waiting for the hospital to discharge him, and have sent his blood sample to the Chemistry Department for analysis," he said.
He added that so far, police have recorded statements from 18 individuals, including 13 UPSI students who have been discharged, the multi-purpose vehicle driver, his wife, two forensic doctors from Gerik Hospital, and the witness with the dashcam footage.
He stated that investigations are ongoing with multiple agencies like the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, Chemistry Departments (Petaling Jaya and Perak), Public Works Department, the Land Public Transport Agency, and the police’s drone unit.
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When asked if the dashcam footage confirmed to be from the actual crash, Comm Noor Hisam said the matter was still under investigation. He mentioned that the video is unclear and needs expert analysis, and its authenticity will be verified by the experts.
"We will send the footage for analysis, which is under another agency’s jurisdiction," he said.
Regarding initial findings from the vehicle inspections by Puspakom, he said the report is not out yet, and all collected data is being analysed by the relevant agencies.
On whether any police reports have been lodged about offensive posts regarding the incident on social media, Comm Noor Hisam said so far no reports have been lodged.
However, he urged netizens to be sensitive and avoid making sensational or defamatory remarks.
"This is a tragedy, and sympathy, not blame, is what is needed. We have a team monitoring this. If any post crosses the line or a report is lodged, we will take appropriate action," he added.
The crash occurred between 12.30am and 1am on Monday (June 9) when a chartered bus travelling from Jertih to Tanjung Malim overturned after colliding with a Perodua Alza on the East-West Highway near Gerik.
The crash also left 33 others injured, including the bus driver, his assistant, and the driver and three passengers of the MPV.
