KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — The final report on the fatal crash involving a Federal Reserve Unit (FRU) truck and an overloaded tipper lorry in Teluk Intan has revealed deep organisational and enforcement failures that allowed unsafe operations to continue unchecked.
The report, released by the Transport Ministry, concluded that both company negligence and weak regulatory oversight contributed to a series of failures that culminated in the deadly incident.
“A clear chain of failure was evident, beginning with weak internal company controls and persistent overloading, followed by the absence of early detection by enforcement agencies, culminating in the accident itself and the reactive actions taken afterwards,” the report said.
Investigators found that the lorry, owned by Tashveen Trading, had repeatedly operated beyond its permitted load limit, with no effective internal controls or preventive monitoring in place.
Despite being aware of the overloading, both the driver and company management allowed the practice to continue.
“From a policy perspective, this raises questions about whether current mechanisms are sufficient to prevent risky practices within the commercial transport industry.
“Control weaknesses, such as the absence of real-time monitoring systems, GPS failures, and an overreliance on physical inspections, indicate the need for a more proactive approach,” it said.
The report recommends that authorities adopt a technology-driven, proactive framework for enforcement, highlighting the Performance Monitoring Hub System (PMHS 2.0) — currently under evaluation — as a potential key tool for reforming industry oversight.
It said the integrated system could detect overloading, risky driving behaviour, and technical non-compliance before accidents occur.
“Real-time data sharing between enforcement agencies would reduce reliance on reactive measures and systematically strengthen road safety,” the report said.
It added that although the crash involved a FRU lorry, its implications extend to other government agencies operating heavy vehicles.
The ministry also noted the need to review technical specifications, safety equipment, maintenance, and driver training across the board to ensure consistent safety standards.
“A comprehensive analysis of technical, human, organisational, and policy factors shows that the crash was not caused by a single issue, but by a combination of interconnected systemic weaknesses.
“Extreme overloading, failure to control the vehicle during emergency manoeuvres, lack of basic safety features, and deficiencies in management and enforcement collectively created a high-risk environment,” it said.
On May 13, a deadly collision occurred on Jalan Chikus–Sungai Lampam in Teluk Intan, Perak, between a gravel-carrying tipper lorry and an FRU lorry of the Royal Malaysia Police.
Nine FRU personnel were killed and nine others injured.
Following a Cabinet directive, the ministry established a Special Task Force to conduct a comprehensive road safety investigation into the incident.
