KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 — Transport Minister Anthony Loke has urged police to expedite investigations into the Simpang Renggam crash that killed five people, so the case can be referred to the Attorney General’s Chambers without delay, and for firm action to be taken against those responsible.

“I hope the police can speed up investigations so that the investigation papers can be referred to the Attorney General’s Chambers as soon as possible. Appropriate and firm prosecution action must be taken against those responsible,” he said.

In a statement today, Loke described the incident as a tragedy that should not have happened and extended his condolences to the victims’ families.

“This is a tragedy that should not have happened. I extend my deepest condolences to the families of the victims over this heartbreaking loss,” he said.

He said reckless driving was entirely unacceptable and reflected a serious failure of responsibility on the road.

“Such driving behaviour is extremely irresponsible and completely unacceptable,” he said.

Loke also stressed that road safety is a shared responsibility among all road users, warning that a driving licence is not a licence to drive recklessly.

“Road safety is a shared responsibility among all road users. A driving licence is not a licence to drive recklessly and cause tragedy to innocent lives,” he said.

The crash in Simpang Renggam yesterday involved multiple vehicles and claimed five lives, including four members of a single family.

During the MotoGP race yesterday in Barcelona, a horrific accident occurred when one of the motorcycle riders crashed into the back of another at high speed. In such cases, producers and editors must tread carefully about what they show, and it seems at least one newspaper got it wrong.

[Read More]

SYDNEY, June 3 — A Frenchman was found still enjoying his McDonald’s meal when police detained him today for allegedly crashing a car into a fountain in Sydney, the force said.

“Strangely, he was still eating Macca’s there”, Police Inspector Anderson Lessing charged—perhaps a greater crime in the eyes of some of his gastronomy-loving countrymen.

The 21-year-old was charged with negligent driving after police said he reversed an SUV into the Archibald Fountain in downtown Sydney’s Hyde Park in the early hours of this morning.

“Half of it was sticking inside, and half it was sticking out, with the driver still inside,” Lessing told local radio station 702 ABC Sydney.

Police images showed the car’s rear wheels stuck in the fountain’s pool, with the rest of the vehicle propped up on the stone sidewall.

Police did not elaborate on the contents of the man’s order.

They said the man had claimed to be delivering a food order when the crash happened, with damage estimated at least A$15,000 ($10,700).

The man was uninjured. — AFP

GEORGE TOWN, June 7 — An elderly woman accidentally stepped on the accelerator, causing the Porsche she was driving to crash into the lobby area of a hotel at Persiaran Gurney here today, an incident that has also gone viral on social media.

Northeast District Police Chief ACP Abdul Rozak Muhammad said that the police received a report regarding the incident from the 61-year-old local woman at 12:05 pm and investigations revealed that the accident occurred at around 11:15 am.

“The incident happened as the senior citizen was preparing to head home after visiting family members. No casualties were reported, and the estimated losses are still under investigation,” he said in a statement today.

He added that the case is being investigated under Section 43 of the Road Transport Act 1987.

Earlier, several photos went viral showing a grey Porsche inside a hotel lobby, believed to have lost control before crashing into the area. — Bernama

MALAYSIA: A 19-year-old man is under arrest to assist the police in the investigation of an accident involving five vehicles that killed five people at Kilometre 27, Jalan Renggam-Simpang Renggam, Kluang, Johor.

Kluang district police chief ACP Bahrin Mohd Noh said the young man was believed to be driving a luxury car (a MercedesMercedes) at high speed and recklessly, while another car (a BMW) was driven by a 22-year-old local man, who is also his elder brother.

The accident occurred when the 22-year-old brother lost control at the scene before entering the opposite lane and hitting four other cars.

The accident claimed the life of the BMW driver, the elder brother, after his vehicle plunged into a ravine, along with four others: a 36‑year‑old man, his 33‑year‑old wife, a 73‑year‑old woman, and a 10‑year‑old girl.

“The driver and passenger died at the scene due to severe head and body injuries. Meanwhile, the driver of the 22-year-old driver died on the way to the hospital,” the police said in a statement.

Urine test results found the 19-year-old man to be negative for drugs.

The accident has garnered much attention online and is turning into a war of words between netizens.

A famous activist in Malaysia, Siti Kasim, also expressed her concerns that a race battle is shaping up because of such accidents.

Responding to a post on the accident on X, she said:

“Oh spare us the fake outrage wrapped in racial poison. A reckless driver kills a family — that is a crime, not a Chinese conspiracy, not a Malay tragedy, not your excuse to stir hatred. The moment you drag race into it, you expose exactly what you are.”

The user Bitcoin Malaya had said that he hoped the Minister of Transport, Anthony Loke, was listening, perhaps meaning ‘paying attention’ that “2 Malaysian Chinese brothers raced in high speed recklessly with their luxury vehicles in Kluang and killed an entire family of 4, including a 10-year-old child.

He said that many people are angry and are calling for the death penalty, “but do you know what is the maximum penalty for him (the driver) under our Road Transport Act 1987?”

He listed the following: Maximum 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of RM20,000.

He also said that if this Chinese guy is wealthy, he will hire great lawyers.

“We must speak up together for the Malay family to uphold justice. Anthony Loke, I hope you are listening.”  

Siti Kasim did not mince her words, saying that blaming Anthony Loke as if he personally sits in court deciding sentences just shows how little understanding the post has of how the system works.

On the point raised on the ‘wealth’ of the driver, Siti Kasim, a lawyer by profession, retorted by saying. “So now having legal representation is a Chinese privilege? Or are you just upset that due process exists?”

She also disagreed that everyone should speak up because the victims are Malays; instead, all Malaysians must speak up for justice for all victims.

“And “we must voice up together for the Malay family”? No. We speak up for justice for the victims, full stop. Not Malay justice. Not Chinese justice. Just justice. Because if tomorrow the driver were Malay, Indian, or Martian — the issue would still be the same.”

That is, justice must be for all and should not be portrayed as a race thing.

This article (Malaysia: A massive accident and deaths now turned into a racial story online) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.