PETALING JAYA: The Magistrate's Court here has sentenced a bus driver to seven days' jail and fined him RM8,000 for reckless driving that caused injury to three students and a teacher near Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) on Saturday (Aug 2).
Magistrate Nur Nastasya Mohtarudin meted out the sentence on Mohamad Hamir Masrudin, 44, after he pleaded guilty to a charge under the Road Transport Act 1987 on Tuesday (Aug 5).
The court also ordered Hamir to serve seven months in jail if he fails to settle the fine.
According to the charge sheet, Hamir was accused of reckless driving that endangers the public at Jalan Persiaran Universiti 1 at 12.18pm on Saturday.
He was charged under Section 42 (1) of the Act, which provides for a maximum of five years in jail and a fine between RM5,000 and RM15,000, as well as disqualification from holding a driving licence for at least five years, upon conviction.
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Earlier, the accused, who was unrepresented, asked the court for a lenient sentence as he worked part-time and had to support his family, including a sick mother.
Deputy public prosecutor Nurain Syafiqeen Mohd Rozi urged the court to impose a just sentence.
"The accused had driven recklessly and dangerously. In this case, three children and a teacher were hurt by his driving," she said.
On Saturday, Serdang OCPD Asst Comm Muhamad Farid Ahmad said an accident occurred involving a bus carrying five teachers and 30 kindergarten children on an outing.
Dashcam footage that went viral on social media showed the bus going out of control before veering off the road and crashing into a tree.
Three children and one teacher sustained head injuries and received outpatient treatment at Hospital Serdang.
The bus driver was detained to assist in investigations under Section 42 of the Road Transport Act 1987.
