KUALA LUMPUR: The Transport Ministry will temporarily suspend the permit of a lorry operator following a multi-vehicle accident that killed a 34-month old baby at KM69 of the East-West Highway near Gerik on Oct 29.
Minister Anthony Loke said the Road Transport Department Malaysia and Land Public Transport Agency have been directed to conduct an audit on the company's fleet of lorries.
He said the action had been taken as the ministry would not compromise on drivers or companies that endanger road users.
"My deepest sympathy goes out to the family of the victims of this accident who lost their firstborn. My condolences to the family.
"I will not compromise with drivers and companies that endanger people on the road," said Loke when commenting on the case on his official Facebook account today.
A dashcam footage of the incident, which has since gone viral, showed a lorry overloaded with white ceiling material crashing into vehicles on the opposite lane at a bend along the stretch.
Yesterday, Gerik district police chief Superintendent Zulkifli Mahmood told Bernama that the incident happened around 11am on Oct 29.
Police had also confirmed that a 47-year-old lorry driver had been detained at a roadblock in Batu Melintang, Jeli, Kelantan before being transferred to the Gerik district police headquarters for investigation.
"The accident happened after the white ceiling load on the trailer, which was heading from Gerik to Jeli, fell off the vehicle and landed on a Subaru Forester when the trailer was negotiating a bend. Three other vehicles were also involved in the accident," said Zulkifi.
The 29-year-old driver of the Subaru Forester was unharmed, he said, but his wife, 31, was critically hurt and taken to the Tanah Merah Hospital in Kelantan, while the other victims suffered minor injuries.
Later, a person with the @isusemasaviral Twitter handle released a 16-second accident video footage of the crash.