A fatal crash on June 14 at around 4:20-4:35pm on the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway killed four people, including a one-year-old girl, when a trailer lorry collided with a Honda City car at KM43-43.2 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
The victims were A. Halim Hasoon, 55; Rozita Buang, 58; Norbahyah A. Halim, 26; and their granddaughter Nayla Afya Aizat, aged one [1, 2, 5]. The trailer lorry was reportedly carrying iron dust or wood dust and either skidded or overturned before crushing the Honda City [2, 4, 5].
The 40-year-old lorry driver was found to be under the influence of methamphetamine through a urine screening test and was arrested early on June 15 at about 4am after receiving hospital treatment [1, 3, 4, 6]. He has 15 outstanding traffic summonses and is under investigation for violating Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 [3, 4, 6]. The Bentong district police have remanded him until June 18 to aid the inquiry [1].
The crash closed the slow and emergency lanes for roughly two hours during rescue and clearance operations [2, 4, 5]. Jamlus Buang, a family member, demanded strict action against the driver, stating, "The family expects the authorities to take the sternest possible action against the lorry driver. Drivers like this have no place on the road because they endanger the lives of others." [1]
In related transport safety matters, Transport Minister Anthony Loke announced that the Malaysia Transport Safety Board Bill has been deferred to the October 2026 parliamentary session to prioritize amendments to the Road Transport Act [7]. He said the ministry continues to investigate accidents through existing committees and experts despite the MTSB not yet being established [7].
The ministry also plans to discuss driver safety with e-hailing operators this month. Loke said, "Some are considering installing cameras such as dashcams to protect drivers, but we need to deliberate further as it also involves passenger privacy, which we must be careful about. Both passenger and driver safety are important, so we need to strike a balance." [8]
Recent assaults on e-hailing drivers have prompted calls for safety protocols, driver training, passenger verification, panic buttons, and protective barriers [8, 9, 10]. Activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said, "Every driver deserves to return home safely after a day's work. Ensuring the safety of e-hailing drivers is not only a matter of occupational safety but also a matter of public safety." [9]. Loke added enforcement against transport companies breaking safety rules will remain firm despite complaints of disruption [10].
Other unrelated incidents include a road rage attack in Kuala Lumpur on June 15 and an alleged assault related to a cough in Sungai Buloh on June 12 [11, 12].
