Govt Will Address East-West Highway Safety At Cabinet Meeting - Loke

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook announced that the safety of the East-West Highway (JRTB) will be discussed at Wednesday's Cabinet meeting, following the tragic bus crash that resulted in the deaths of 15 students from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI). 

The Ministry will actively engage with other relevant ministries, according to Loke. Discussions will prioritize the assessment and swift execution of initiatives to enhance highway safety, focusing specifically on areas plagued by inadequate lighting and road imperfections.

“In terms of road safety, including at JRTB, we are taking it seriously and we need to work together with various other ministries. I will raise the matter at the Cabinet meeting tomorrow morning so we can discuss what immediate steps can be taken,” he said, highlighting that the Transport Ministry will install solar-powered streetlights to address the visibility issue on the highway.

In addition to confirming that the JPJ and PDRM are carrying out thorough investigations into the incident, Loke said he would personally visit the crash site at Tasik Banding in Gerik on Thursday to perform an on-site inspection and determine what additional action is required.




“APAD has issued a show-cause letter to the bus company and is currently analyzing GPS data to determine if the bus was exceeding the speed limit
“We want to know whether the bus was speeding. We also need a full audit of the company and the background of the driver,” he added.