Transport minister Anthony Loke has revealed that faulty electrical wiring which did not comply with safety standards as the cause of the fatal electrocution of an 18-year-old passenger on an express bus in Penang earlier this month.
As reported by The Star, Loke said a special task force established to investigate the incident found several critical lapses in the vehicle’s wiring and equipment. It was discovered that the wiring connection from the distribution box to the socket was installed in reverse, and the electrical equipment used in the bus failed to meet the required safety standards.
Additionally, an unlicensed person was responsible for carrying out the wiring installation, which is contrary to the guidelines of the energy commission (EC). “While the bus’s structural components adhered to approved technical plans and passed a Puspakom inspection on May 20, the electrical wiring issues required immediate attention,” Loke said.
“As an initial measure, the land public transport agency (APAD) issued a show-cause letter to the operator, Konsortium Bas Ekspres Semenanjung (M) Sdn Bhd, on November 4. On November 5, the road transport department (JPJ), accompanied by the EC and the fire and rescue department, inspected the bus in Butterworth, Penang,” he added.
Further inspections were conducted on November 6 at the manufacturer’s premises in Beranang, Selangor, by representatives from the EC, JPJ, Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS), and the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM). APAD also identified another bus from the same operator with similar electrical wiring issues, which has since been issued a temporary suspension of operations pending further investigations.
“In response to the findings, APAD issued a directive on November 6 for all bus operators to cease using three-pin electrical sockets on their buses with immediate effect. The suspension will remain in place until new policies and wiring guidelines are issued by the transport ministry,” said Loke.
“Moving forward, APAD will require both new and existing bus operators to submit certified inspection reports or certificates for additional electrical wiring installations, conducted by accredited bodies recognised by the Department of Standards Malaysia,” he continued.
In an effort to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future, the transport ministry will implement stricter enforcement of safety standards for electrical wiring and related equipment in public transport vehicles, complemented by enhanced monitoring and tighter compliance measures. “The government takes passenger safety very seriously and will ensure that stringent measures are in place to prevent such incidents from recurring,” Loke said.
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“The government takes passenger safety very seriously and will ensure that stringent measures are in place to prevent such incidents from recurring,”
So we wait for an incident, and then we will take action. Everything that happened is collateral damage, even if its the loss of life!
What can you say here…waiting something big to happen first then only “very seriously”. Before that, it still “seriously” ya…cakap serious kot. Enforcement lacking. Selamba aje attitude authority. Biasa la tuh!
Sebagai contoh…public smoking…dah berdekad nih…masih tak sampai tahap “very seriously” tuh…hangat tahi ayam enforcement. LOL.
The lesson for us…do all your charging at home or hotel.
Forget the “kami akan memantau ” shit.
It’s stupid to have AC outlets in commercial passenger vehicles. USB sockets is already sufficient!
That’s 240V, a very dangerous level of Voltage if electrocuted.
It’s for pampered passenger convenience to cook instant noodles in cup or boiling water for instant teh-tarik. LOL
Ok, good, all post incident procedures done. The reactive bits. Minister – how are you ensuring this will not happen again? Any measures put in place that all operators will comply and how are you checking they comply? Is it just the keluar satu surat arahan and that’s it? Hope we don’t need to wait for another incident. Please share the proactive bits.
Our electrical trade needs to be more regulated and require inspection like the UK, I know it’s not going to happen though because of the cost involed.
Some of the works done by my sparky is absolutely shocking (changed now). Save money by not grounding (!!!!) an external socket, exposed wires with no socket junction box, using the same colour cables (at least they are the right gauge), reversed live and neutral on multiple sockets, etc.