Kelantan police confirm tahfiz van driver has no driving licence

Acting state police chief, SAC Din Ahmad said initially the school management informed that the van driver had a licence but further investigation revealed that the teacher who accompanied the students was the substitute driver.

"On the day of the incident, the actual driver had taken leave and was replaced by another driver (the accompanying teacher).

"We are still investigating on the probability of human error because according to eye-witnesses, the van was trying to overtake another vehicle and if so, it must have been driven at high speed," he told a press conference at the Kelantan police headquarters, here, today.

Last Friday, seven tahfiz students perished when a van ferrying 12 students and two teachers to Kota Bharu to attend a Ramadan programme plunged into a ravine before crashing into a house in Kampung Telekong.

According to Din, investigations would be carried out under Section 41 (1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for reckless driving, which provides for a jail term of not less than two years or up to 10 years, a fine of between RM5,000 and RM20,000 and suspension of the driving licence.

On the police officer who was found dead with a gunshot wound in his head at the Pasir Puteh district police headquarters last Thursday, Din said the case was still classified as sudden death.

He said so far, there was no evidence of foul play and it was more of death due an accident involving a firearm.