Latest news with #RM70
New Straits Times
13-06-2025
- New Straits Times
Human trafficking syndicate disguised as a job agency busted
KUALA LUMPUR: The Immigration Department has busted a human trafficking syndicate operating under the guise of a job agency in Klang following raids on three premises. Immigration deputy director-general (management) Ismail Mokhtar said the operation, led by the department's Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Money Laundering Division in Putrajaya, was carried out upon receiving public complaints and after two weeks of intelligence gathering. "A local woman, believed to be the mastermind, and two Filipino women acting as caretakers of the premises were arrested during the operation," he said in a statement today. Nine Filipino women believed to be victims were rescued, while 10 others aged between 26 and 43 were detained for further investigation. All of them lacked valid passports or visit passes. The premises, believed to be used as a holding area for the victims, were seized along with several Philippine and Indonesian passports, and mobile phones containing suspected evidence of communication between the mastermind and caretakers. Ismail said the modus operandi involved luring foreign workers from source countries with false promises of employment. Upon arrival, they were bound by contracts and prohibited from returning to their home countries. They were forced to work and made to pay exorbitant fees set by the agency. "These women were made to work part-time as domestic helpers for multiple employers, earning between RM70 and RM120 per day. "However, the wages were collected entirely by the agency without the victims' knowledge or consent," he said. He added that the victims were tightly controlled, with their passports held by the agency and their phones confiscated by the caretakers, only returned when deemed necessary. The operation also adopted a victim-identification approach based on the National Guideline on Human Trafficking Indicators 2.0 to detect elements of forced labour, particularly among vulnerable groups. Ismail said investigations are now underway under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, which carries penalties of up to 30 years in prison, life imprisonment, and whipping upon conviction. "The public is urged to continue channeling information about the exploitation of foreign nationals to the Immigration Department so immediate and firm action can be taken," he said.
The Sun
13-06-2025
- The Sun
Gerik tragedy uncovers rampant illegal bus permit leasing nationwide
PETALING JAYA: The deadly crash in Gerik that claimed 15 lives has shed light on a long-standing but largely ignored problem — the widespread leasing of express and tour bus permits, a practice that violates the Land Public Transport Act 2010. Zainal Abidin Mehat, chairman of the Bumiputera Express Bus Operators Association of Malaysia (PPBBM), said that thousands of buses are operating illegally across the country under leased permits. ALSO READ: Gerik crash: Bus driver arrested, to be charged today This often involves former bus drivers who buy second-hand buses and run them under permits owned by other companies. 'There are even companies that own dozens or hundreds of permits and take advantage by leasing them out, whether for express or tour buses, at a rate of RM500 per month per permit, raking in tens of thousands of ringgit monthly,' he told Berita Harian. He said the practice has been going on for years, driven by the burdensome procedures and high costs required by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) or the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD). 'I often receive complaints about this issue, but it remains unresolved because there is both supply and demand in the permit leasing market. 'The modus operandi involves bus operators purchasing second-hand buses over 10 years old for between RM70,000 and RM100,000, repainting them to appear new and attractive, and using them as tour or express buses. ALSO READ: Gerik Crash: Survivor still hears cries for help, lost two close friends 'To avoid dealing directly with APAD or MOTAC, they simply lease permits from companies offering such services, paying RM500 a month,' he said. 'Imagine a company with 100 permits earning RM500 per permit every month, they can easily make tens of thousands of ringgit monthly,' he added. Zainal warned that many of those involved are inexperienced former drivers more interested in profits than safety. 'They lack the proper knowledge to become legitimate operators and are only chasing fast money, with little concern for the safety of future passengers. 'If the fatal crash on the Gerik-Jeli road hadn't occurred, this issue might never have been exposed, even though in reality it involves thousands of buses across the country. 'They're also crafty, during APAD enforcement operations, these buses are kept off the road temporarily to avoid detection for operating under permits belonging to other companies. 'That's why sometimes you'll see one company name on the bus body and another on the permit,' he said. He called for stronger enforcement and welcomed government action against rogue operators. 'We welcome the move by the Transport Ministry to revoke the licences of bus companies found to have leased out their permits.' Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed that the bus company involved in the Gerik crash had committed two major violations: leasing its permit and failing to install and activate a Global Positioning System (GPS) device, as required by law.
The Sun
13-06-2025
- The Sun
Gerik tragedy uncovers rampant illegal bus permit leasing
PETALING JAYA: The deadly crash in Gerik that claimed 15 lives has shed light on a long-standing but largely ignored problem — the widespread leasing of express and tour bus permits, a practice that violates the Land Public Transport Act 2010. Zainal Abidin Mehat, chairman of the Bumiputera Express Bus Operators Association of Malaysia (PPBBM), said that thousands of buses are operating illegally across the country under leased permits. ALSO READ: Gerik crash: Bus driver arrested, to be charged today This often involves former bus drivers who buy second-hand buses and run them under permits owned by other companies. 'There are even companies that own dozens or hundreds of permits and take advantage by leasing them out, whether for express or tour buses, at a rate of RM500 per month per permit, raking in tens of thousands of ringgit monthly,' he told Berita Harian. He said the practice has been going on for years, driven by the burdensome procedures and high costs required by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) or the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD). 'I often receive complaints about this issue, but it remains unresolved because there is both supply and demand in the permit leasing market. 'The modus operandi involves bus operators purchasing second-hand buses over 10 years old for between RM70,000 and RM100,000, repainting them to appear new and attractive, and using them as tour or express buses. ALSO READ: Gerik Crash: Survivor still hears cries for help, lost two close friends 'To avoid dealing directly with APAD or MOTAC, they simply lease permits from companies offering such services, paying RM500 a month,' he said. 'Imagine a company with 100 permits earning RM500 per permit every month, they can easily make tens of thousands of ringgit monthly,' he added. Zainal warned that many of those involved are inexperienced former drivers more interested in profits than safety. 'They lack the proper knowledge to become legitimate operators and are only chasing fast money, with little concern for the safety of future passengers. 'If the fatal crash on the Gerik-Jeli road hadn't occurred, this issue might never have been exposed, even though in reality it involves thousands of buses across the country. 'They're also crafty, during APAD enforcement operations, these buses are kept off the road temporarily to avoid detection for operating under permits belonging to other companies. ALSO READ: Gerik Crash: Shattered hope as families receive death certificates 'That's why sometimes you'll see one company name on the bus body and another on the permit,' he said. He called for stronger enforcement and welcomed government action against rogue operators. 'We welcome the move by the Transport Ministry to revoke the licences of bus companies found to have leased out their permits.' Transport Minister Anthony Loke confirmed that the bus company involved in the Gerik crash had committed two major violations: leasing its permit and failing to install and activate a Global Positioning System (GPS) device, as required by law.
New Straits Times
13-06-2025
- New Straits Times
Horrific Gerik crash exposes dark truth behind bus permit leasing
KOTA BARU: Thousands of express and tour buses are operating illegally nationwide using leased permits, a practice that contravenes the Land Public Transport Act 2010, the Bumiputera Express Bus Operators Association of Malaysia (PPBBM) said. PPBBM chairman Zainal Abidin Mehat said the issue of leasing public transport bus permits has been ongoing for some time. However, it only came to light following the recent fatal crash involving a tour bus carrying students from Sultan Idris Education University (UPSI) along the East–West Highway near Gerik, which claimed 15 lives. Zainal said some bus operators conduct business without any valid permit by purchasing second-hand buses and operating them under permits obtained from various other companies. This, he said, is because many bus operators, most of whom are former bus drivers, are unwilling to apply for permits due to the high upfront cost and the numerous procedures required by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) or the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD). "There are even companies that own dozens or hundreds of permits and take advantage by leasing them out, whether for express or tour buses, at a rate of RM500 per month per permit, raking in tens of thousands of ringgit monthly," he said. Zainal said that the practice of leasing express and tour bus permits has been going on for years. "I often receive complaints about this issue, but it remains unresolved because there is both supply and demand in the permit leasing market. "The modus operandi involves bus operators purchasing second-hand buses over 10 years old for between RM70,000 and RM100,000, repainting them to appear new and attractive, and using them as tour or express buses. "To avoid dealing directly with APAD or MOTAC, they simply lease permits from companies offering such services, paying RM500 a month," he told Berita Harian. Zainal said that due to high demand, some bus companies that have more than 100 express or tour bus permits lease out nearly all of them. These companies retain only a few permits for their own use to avoid detection. "Imagine a company with 100 permits earning RM500 per permit every month, they can easily make tens of thousands of ringgit monthly," he said. Jega AFP, [13/6/2025 10:58 AM] He added that many of those leasing permits are former bus drivers who, after saving up some money, venture into bus operations. "They lack the proper knowledge to become legitimate operators and are only chasing fast money, with little concern for the safety of future passengers. "If the fatal crash on the Gerik-Jeli road hadn't occurred, this issue might never have been exposed, even though in reality it involves thousands of buses across the country. "They're also crafty, during APAD enforcement operations, these buses are kept off the road temporarily to avoid detection for operating under permits belonging to other companies. "That's why sometimes you'll see one company name on the bus body and another on the permit," he said. He urged the government to take firmer and more drastic action against bus operators using leased permits. "We welcome the move by the Transport Ministry to revoke the licences of bus companies found to have leased out their permits," he said. On Monday, fifteen undergraduate students were killed in an accident when the bus they were travelling in rear-ended a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) along the East–West Highway in Gerik. The bus then flipped onto its left side and came to rest against the metal guardrails. Transport Minister Anthony Loke said during a press conference on Wednesday that all permits held by the He said the company had committed two serious offences namely leasing its permits to third parties and failing to install and activate the Global Positioning System (GPS).
Daily Express
11-06-2025
- Daily Express
Jail for causing death of Sabah courts head
Published on: Wednesday, June 11, 2025 Published on: Wed, Jun 11, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: Sun, 42, was charged under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to RM50,000 upon conviction. SIBU: A Chinese national who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving resulting in the death of Sabah State Courts director Marutin Pagan, was Tuesday sentenced to five years' imprisonment and fined RM20,000, in default three months' jail, by the Magistrate's Court here. Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court Judge Rosli Ahmad, to whom the case was previously reassigned, ordered that Sun Xue Song's jail term take effect from the date of his arrest on March 30. Advertisement Sun, 42, was charged under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment and a fine of up to RM50,000 upon conviction. Rosli said the court took into account the accused's plea of guilt, the circumstances of the offence, mitigation presented and the broader public interest. 'I accept the accused's guilty plea and convict him as charged. After considering all circumstances, I sentence him to five years' imprisonment from the date of arrest and a RM20,000 fine, in default three months' imprisonment,' he said. The court also ordered that Sun be disqualified from holding a driving licence for five years from the date of the charge and for his passport to be returned upon completion of his sentence. In mitigation, Sun's counsel Terence Tiong Ing Jie submitted that the accused, an engineering graduate, had lawfully entered Malaysia for employment to support his 70-year-old mother and seven-year-old son. He further noted that the accused had no prior convictions, had fully cooperated with the authorities, voluntarily surrendered himself following the accident and expressed sincere remorse over the victim's death. 'The accused made a bereavement payment of RM70,000 to the deceased's wife, not as an attempt to seek leniency but as a sincere act of compassion,' said Tiong. The court was also informed that the collision occurred along a known accident-prone stretch of Jalan Kanowit-Durin. According to the statement of facts, the incident occurred on March 30 at approximately 1 pm when the accused was driving a Proton X70 along Jalan Kanowit-Durin towards the Kanowit roundabout. At the same time, a Toyota Fortuner driven by Margaretha Jeramy Marutin, with four passengers, including the deceased, Marutin Pagan, was already navigating the roundabout. Sun failed to stop and give way at the designated road markings and dangerously entered the roundabout, resulting in a collision which caused the Fortuner to overturn and land on its side outside the roundabout. Marutin sustained multiple injuries and was rushed to Kanowit Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. A post-mortem confirmed the cause of death as 'head and chest injuries due to a road traffic crash.' Sun initially claimed trial on April 7 before Magistrate Romario Jonoi but changed his plea to guilty during pre-trial case management on May 16. The case was initially handled by Magistrate Oon Kork Chern, who later recused himself due to a personal acquaintance with the deceased. The matter was then reassigned to Judge Rosli Ahmad. Deputy Public Prosecutor Cynthia Emmelda Jerry conducted the prosecution. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
