UPSI assures support for bus crash victims to continue studies
IPOH: Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) has assured that students injured in the recent road crash in Gerik, which claimed the lives of the 15 people, will not be required to defer their studies.
Its vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Md Amin Md Taff said the university would make all necessary academic arrangements to support the affected students and ensure they can continue their studies despite their circumstances.
"For those still undergoing treatment in hospital or recovering at home, we will ensure that their examinations, assignments, and other academic requirements are fully managed.
"I repeat, our goal is to ensure, as far as possible, that none of them will have to defer their semester," he said during an online meeting today.
Describing the students as being in both physical pain and emotional distress, Md Amin said UPSI's flexible learning systems would allow them to keep up with their academic responsibilities without being left behind.
He said the university's commitment to student welfare followed instructions from Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and echoed the decree of the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, to prioritise students' well-being.
"This is a trust and a responsibility. Let us help these children in their time of hardship," he said.
Md Amin also called on the UPSI community to extend moral and emotional support to the affected students and staff, including providing counselling services, to ensure no one feels isolated.
"These students must be given care, support, and attention. We don't want them to fail or be made to fail.
"At UPSI, we place a high priority on character and values, not just academics.
"Otherwise, they might ask, 'What's the point of doing good in this world if, in the end, only academics are considered?' No, at UPSI, it is manners and character," he said.
He also reminded the community not to overlook the classmates and roommates of the victims, who may be grieving in silence.
"Imagine a presentation group of five, now left with only three. Imagine a dorm room of four friends, now down to two, staring at an empty bed in silence.
"Let this be our collective charity, our act of worship. Support these children in their time of difficulty, and may Allah bless and ease all our efforts," he said.
On June 9, a bus carrying 42 UPSI students was travelling from Jertih, Terengganu, to the university's main campus when it collided with a Perodua Alza at KM53 of the East-West Highway.
Thirteen students died at the scene while two others were pronounced dead in hospital.
On Friday, the bus driver, Mohd Amirul Fadhil Zulkifli, 39, pleaded not guilty at the Gerik Magistrate's Court to charge of dangerous driving resulting in the deaths of 15 students. (hyperlink:
On Saturday, a preliminary investigation into the Gerik crash found no evidence of brake failure or mechanical malfunction.
including the linings and drums on each axle were in good condition.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Gerik bus crash survivor haunted by trauma
BESUT: The emotional toll from the Gerik bus crash weighs heavily on Nur Ain Najwa Mohd Ilias, 23, who survived the incident that killed 15 of her university mates on June 9. "I don't have the strength to look at news about the incident on social media," said the Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) student. She suffered a fractured left shoulder in the crash and is traumatised by the sight and sound of buses. The Arabic with Education student said she now only uses WhatsApp to communicate with family, friends and her lecturers at UPSI. "Whenever I hear the sound of a bus, I get anxious and try to calm myself by reciting istighfar," she said at her home in Kampung Gong Kemuntong. Nur Ain Najwa said she was semi-conscious at the time of the incident as she had fallen asleep after taking medication for a fever. "I regained consciousness only after the bus had overturned. "It was eerily silent, and my left shoulder was in excruciating pain. In my heart I said, 'Ya Allah, if You want to take my life, I am ready,' before losing consciousness again. "The next time I woke up, I was outside the bus, waiting for help." She said she had used part of her headscarf to support her injured arm before a passer-by gave her a piece of cloth. Her mother, Nani Hamid, 49, said Ain hadn't planned to take the bus that night, but decided to return to campus early and bought a ticket from another student. She added that Ain had initially planned to celebrate Hari Raya Aidiladha at her sister's home in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, but in the end both siblings decided to return to their family home in Kampung Gong Kemuntong.
The Sun
3 days ago
- The Sun
Muhammad Mustaqim's three paintings seem to carry a heartbreaking sign
JERTIH: Three paintings by Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) student Muhammad Mustaqim Rosde, 21, now seem to carry a heartbreaking sign of the tragic accident on the East-West Highway (JRTB) near Gerik, Perak, last week, a tragedy that claimed his life along with 14 of his fellow students. Muhammad Mustaqim's mother, Juariah Abdul Rahman, 48, shared that among her late son's collection of over 100 drawings kept neatly in a file in his bedroom, three pieces now stand out with painful poignancy - a bus, a winding road flanked by forest, and a haunting scene of trees accompanied by words about death. 'If you look closely at his paintings, the first shows a bus, the second captures a road with a forest in the background, and the third features trees along with writings that speak about death. 'It's as if his drawings hinted at the accident,' she told reporters at their home in Kampung Telaga Nibung, Hulu Besut, after receiving a visit from Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar. However, Juariah said she believed that what her son had drawn was merely coincidental and not a sign of what was to come. Despite the heartbreaking loss, she accepted it as fate. Juariah also shared that she and her husband, Rosde Yaakub, 58, have decided not to sell any of Muhammad Mustaqim's paintings, despite receiving offers from individuals interested in purchasing them. 'We will keep these paintings forever. They are a deeply meaningful legacy from our son,' she said, her voice heavy with emotion. Through tears, Juariah recalled how Muhammad Mustaqim, the second of four siblings, had shown a gift for drawing since he was a child. He had long dreamed of becoming an art education teacher after completing his studies at UPSI. Muhammad Mustaqim was one of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students who tragically lost their lives when a chartered bus transporting them from Jertih back to the university's main campus in Tanjung Malim, Perak, overturned at KM53 of the JRTB, near Tasik Banding, Gerik, in the early hours of June 9. The devastating accident also left 33 others injured. Earlier, Ahmad Samsuri, when speaking to reporters, said his visit to the families of the 15 victims in Besut and Setiu marked the completion of the state government's financial aid distribution to all affected families. 'This is a critical time,' he said. 'The first two weeks are especially important to help ease the psychological burden and to identify where the state government can provide further support, so the families can begin to move forward with their lives. 'The donation from the state government has been fully disbursed, and we welcome contributions from outside parties - including companies, organisations, and individuals. We hope these efforts will offer encouragement and emotional support to the affected families,' he said. On June 11, Ahmad Samsuri reportedly announced that the Terengganu government would provide a one-off financial assistance of RM3,000 to each of the next of kin of the 15 deceased students, along with RM1,000 in aid for each of the 33 individuals injured in the tragic accident.
The Sun
3 days ago
- The Sun
UPSI crash: Muhammad Mustaqim's three paintings seem to carry a heartbreaking sign, says mother
JERTIH: Three paintings by Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) student Muhammad Mustaqim Rosde, 21, now seem to carry a heartbreaking sign of the tragic accident on the East-West Highway (JRTB) near Gerik, Perak, last week, a tragedy that claimed his life along with 14 of his fellow students. Muhammad Mustaqim's mother, Juariah Abdul Rahman, 48, shared that among her late son's collection of over 100 drawings kept neatly in a file in his bedroom, three pieces now stand out with painful poignancy - a bus, a winding road flanked by forest, and a haunting scene of trees accompanied by words about death. 'If you look closely at his paintings, the first shows a bus, the second captures a road with a forest in the background, and the third features trees along with writings that speak about death. 'It's as if his drawings hinted at the accident,' she told reporters at their home in Kampung Telaga Nibung, Hulu Besut, after receiving a visit from Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar. However, Juariah said she believed that what her son had drawn was merely coincidental and not a sign of what was to come. Despite the heartbreaking loss, she accepted it as fate. Juariah also shared that she and her husband, Rosde Yaakub, 58, have decided not to sell any of Muhammad Mustaqim's paintings, despite receiving offers from individuals interested in purchasing them. 'We will keep these paintings forever. They are a deeply meaningful legacy from our son,' she said, her voice heavy with emotion. Through tears, Juariah recalled how Muhammad Mustaqim, the second of four siblings, had shown a gift for drawing since he was a child. He had long dreamed of becoming an art education teacher after completing his studies at UPSI. Muhammad Mustaqim was one of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students who tragically lost their lives when a chartered bus transporting them from Jertih back to the university's main campus in Tanjung Malim, Perak, overturned at KM53 of the JRTB, near Tasik Banding, Gerik, in the early hours of June 9. The devastating accident also left 33 others injured. Earlier, Ahmad Samsuri, when speaking to reporters, said his visit to the families of the 15 victims in Besut and Setiu marked the completion of the state government's financial aid distribution to all affected families. 'This is a critical time,' he said. 'The first two weeks are especially important to help ease the psychological burden and to identify where the state government can provide further support, so the families can begin to move forward with their lives. 'The donation from the state government has been fully disbursed, and we welcome contributions from outside parties - including companies, organisations, and individuals. We hope these efforts will offer encouragement and emotional support to the affected families,' he said. On June 11, Ahmad Samsuri reportedly announced that the Terengganu government would provide a one-off financial assistance of RM3,000 to each of the next of kin of the 15 deceased students, along with RM1,000 in aid for each of the 33 individuals injured in the tragic accident.
