This news just came up this morning. Apparently several students revealed the driver was shouting angrily and was speeding before the bus crashed.

Investigations can be made and speculations by anyone can be made. However, after this piece of news came up, I'm rather certain now that the accident is caused by the driver and not any other external factors.

I don't know, but to me an accident is MOSTLY caused by the driver(s) involved in the accident, I would say 90%. Other factors would be vehicle fault such as brake failure, steering failure etc. perhaps (8%) or other factors such as oil on the road, tyre burst or a cow suddenly came up from nowhere and you can't brake in time (2%).

What do you think? The article published on The Star is as below.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2025...y-says-survivor

Gerik bus crash: Driver sounded angry, says survivor



GERIK: "I woke up when I heard the driver shouting angrily. I don't know what he was angry at but the bus started swaying from side to side and then overturned."

This is what Farhana Ab Aziz remembered after she survived the horrific accident where 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students were killed at KM53 of the East-West Highway here on Monday (June 9). Farhana, 23, said she heard noises from the driver's seat and saw he appeared to be angry before the bus sped up and became unstable. "When the bus departed from Jertih, I fell asleep. But around 12.45am, I woke up because I heard the driver mumbling angrily. "It wasn't clear why he was angry – whether it was the bus' condition or at a car in front – I'm not sure," she said when met by reporters at Gerik Hospital, reported Sinar Harian. Farhana said some other students who were awake also tried to see what was going on. Shortly after, she said, the bus started to sway and then overturned. "Many were unconscious. My friends and I who were awake quickly looked for an exit. "I was afraid of stepping on others," she said.

Another student, Rohadatul Aisy Mohd Zaki, 20, said she realised the bus was speeding after she was awaked by her friend seconds before the crash. "I was thrown into the aisle. It was cramped and a friend tried to help me but I couldn't get up. "After a few minutes, I managed to gather enough strength to get out of the bus," she said.

In the incident around 1am on Monday, 15 students died while 27 others were injured. The 40-year-old bus driver and his 54-year-old assistant were also injured. The accident is believed to have occurred when the bus collided with the rear of a multi-purpose vehicle before going out of control before overturning and crashing into the guardrail on the left of the road. A family of four in the MPV survived with injuries and were treated at Baling Hospital in Kedah.

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/m...were-functional
Malaysia fatal bus crash: Report confirms bus brakes were functional
PETALING JAYA – The brakes on the bus involved in the crash that killed 15 Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI) students were in working condition, according to vehicle company Puspakom.

Puspakom’s preliminary technical report, released on June 14, indicated that an inspection of the brakes, lining and drums showed no signs of wear. “Inspection of the air compressor tank also found there was no air pressure leakage,” the report stated. The tyres were also found to be in satisfactory condition and compliant with the road transport department specifications. Additionally, the steering and suspension system were deemed satisfactory.
However, the report noted that the leaf spring and shock absorbers were misaligned, possibly due to the accident.

“Based on observations and technical investigations, there is no evidence showing mechanical failure was the cause of the accident,” it added, suggesting other factors such as road conditions or human error. In a statement, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said necessary improvement measures would be considered and implemented once the final report is received to further enhance road safety. “The safety of road users is our priority. The ministry conveys its condolences to the victims’ families and expresses its commitment to ensuring justice is served while ensuring such tragedies do not repeat,” he said on June 14. On June 9, 15 UPSI students died when their chartered bus overturned after colliding with a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) on the East-West Highway near Gerik town. The crash also left 33 others injured, including the bus driver, his assistant, the MPV driver and three passengers in the MPV.

The bus driver, who has since been charged in court, had claimed that the bus suffered brake failure during the incident. THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK

So the claim by the driver that the brakes weren't working before the crash was disputed by Puspakom.

It is likely the driver was just driving too fast as claimed by several students that were lucky to be alive, though I'm not sure about the story of the driver trying the brakes for about 1 minute or more reporting that the brakes weren't working.

Also, as an add-on, even before the Puspakom report came out, the claim of a brake failure was highly suspicious, especially when the driver claimed that he miraculously manoeuvred the vehicle for more than 1 minute, which is a long time, without the brakes before crashing the bus. I am not sure about the conditions of the roads where the mishap took place. However, based on logical thinking, if the driver was driving within speed limit and at a leisurely pace without speeding, he would surely know the condition of the brakes whether it's in good or poor condition. I mean, how can the brakes suddenly just fail like that. It just sounds like a movie where someone cut the hoses or something where the brakes just suddently don't work at all even though you apply full force to the brakes. It just doesn't make sense.

Well, say even though the brakes really don't work anymore, depending on the conditions of the road the driver would surely be able to just let the vehicle cruise slowly to a halt UNLESS it's all the way downhill road like Genting HIghlands. Anyway, all the speculation is of no use anymore as the report has already proven that the brakes were indeed working, and this has also proven that the driver is not honest with his earlier claims.

Of course, as we all understand he will need to say something to defend himself for the great disaster which he had caused in the earlier stages when all focus was on him. I presume he has no choice but to just give an excuse despite knowing it's not the truth.

I don't post on Kopitiam as I find the language there different where I find difficulty understanding what that was posted.

It was already mentioned in the Puspakom report as below.

Malaysia fatal bus crash: Report confirms bus brakes were functional

PETALING JAYA – The brakes on the bus involved in the crash that killed 15 Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI) students were in working condition, according to vehicle company Puspakom.

Puspakom’s preliminary technical report, released on June 14, indicated that an inspection of the brakes, lining and drums showed no signs of wear. “Inspection of the air compressor tank also found there was no air pressure leakage,” the report stated. The tyres were also found to be in satisfactory condition and compliant with the road transport department specifications. Additionally, the steering and suspension system were deemed satisfactory.
However, the report noted that the leaf spring and shock absorbers were misaligned, possibly due to the accident.

“Based on observations and technical investigations, there is no evidence showing mechanical failure was the cause of the accident,” it added,