Gerik bus crash: Academic association calls for urgent road safety reforms

The Malaysian Academic Association Congress (MAAC) has called for the establishment of a comprehensive national action plan on road safety following the Gerik bus crash yesterday, which killed 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students and injured many others.

MAAC committee member Professor Dr Fauzilah Salleh said the key agencies that must take the lead are the Public Works Department, Road Transport Department, Road Safety Department of Malaysia, Transport Ministry and the Royal Malaysia Police.

“This tragedy serves as yet another painful reminder of the inadequacies of our national road safety system,” said Fauzilah.

“The loss of young lives – our future leaders and intellectuals – must be treated as a national emergency. MAAC calls upon all relevant stakeholders to urgently review and improve the current safety protocols that have proven insufficient.”

The incident involved a chartered bus travelling from Jertih, Terengganu to Tanjung Malim, Perak, which overturned after colliding with a Perodua Alza on the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding, Gerik. The crash also left 33 others injured.

The Land Public Transport Agency has issued a show-cause letter to the bus operator involved in the crash, which occurred at Km53 of the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the Road Transport Department is also conducting a Safety Inspection and Audit on the bus and the company involved under the Road Transport Act 1987 and the Land Public Transport Act.

Fauzilah said there is also a need to strengthen the role of the Department of Student Affairs (HEPA) across all institutions of higher learning to ensure effective oversight of student welfare, particularly concerning off-campus travel arrangements.

MAAC proposes the following immediate measures:

The association also urged the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research to conduct urgent field research to identify key risk factors and formulate evidence-based, actionable solutions.

“MAAC emphasises that reactive approaches are no longer sufficient. Structural and technical reforms must be implemented without delay. It is time for decisive and concrete action to be taken to protect the lives of all road users, especially students of higher education institutions,” she said.

Fauzilah said MAAC stands ready to contribute academic expertise and research-based recommendations to support more robust and sustainable road safety policies to prevent such tragedies from recurring.