Working group members to digest Genting bus tragedy reports to be named next week

Members of a working group to compile and digest the reports on the Aug 21 Genting Highlands bus tragedy which claimed 37 lives, will be announced next week.

Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the working group would advise him after the members received all the reports on the bus tragedy prepared separately by several agencies including the police, Road Transport Department (RTD), Land Public Transport Commission and Malaysia Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros).

Hishammuddin said he and National Road Safety Council member Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye had identified three to four individuals to be in the working group.

"The group will digest the reports without fear or favour. This is to ensure that whatever we find out is transparent and clear to the public. I do not want anything hidden.

"In accidents like this, once you have done a proper report, the public has the right to know," he told a news conference after launching the Hong Leong Yamaha Lagenda 115Z motorcycle, here, on Monday.

On Aug 21, 37 people died when a bus from Genting Highlands to Kuala Lumpur skidded and plunged into a 60m-deep ravine.

Hishammuddin said animation and simulation on the bus accident done by Miros was presented to the Cabinet last week but the cause of the tragedy could not be ascertained.

"It could be brake problem, poor maintenance of the bus, bus driver's fault and it could be due to the gradient of the hill or the road barrier. But from the animation, it is clear that something was amiss.

Earlier, in his speech, Hishammuddin said he wanted all the stakeholders in the transport industry such as RTD, police, Miros, Public Works Department and Road Safety Department to work together and think outside the box on safety issues to prevent accidents like the Genting Highlands tragedy.