In the quiet hours of the morning on June 9, a heartbreaking tragedy unfolded along the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding in Gerik, Perak. A bus carrying Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students collided with a Perodua Alza, overturned, and claimed the lives of 15 young students — sons, daughters, friends, and bright hopes for the future.
The crash occurred at around 1:10 am as the bus was making its journey from Jerteh, Terengganu, back to the UPSI campus in Tanjung Malim. The impact of the collision was devastating — 13 students died at the scene, with two more succumbing to injuries later in hospital. Dozens of others were injured, some seriously, leaving families across Terengganu and Perak in deep grief.
As the nation awoke to the news, shock and sorrow rippled far beyond the families affected. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abd Kadir, and the Sultan of Perak all offered their condolences and called for urgent reflection on road safety.
Details from survivors have slowly emerged. Some students shared that the bus was speeding down the winding highway. One student noticed the driver appeared upset before the crash. Others recalled a strange burnt smell moments before the bus began to sway violently — dashcam footage later confirmed that the vehicle was overtaking another car moments before it overturned.
In the aftermath, emergency responders worked tirelessly through the night to save lives. Firefighters had to cut through the wreckage to free trapped passengers. The injured were rushed to hospitals across Perak and Kedah. The community, too, came together — UPSI sent 160 fellow students to accompany their peers’ bodies back to Terengganu for final farewells, while the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development is providing counselling and psychosocial support to grieving families.
But beyond the immediate heartbreak lies a deeper truth: this was not an isolated incident. Just weeks earlier, Malaysia mourned the deaths of nine Federal Reserve Unit officers in another bus crash in Perak. And sadly, the country has witnessed too many similar tragedies over the years — the 2013 Genting Highlands crash, the 2016 Muar incident, and now this.
The Sultan of Perak has urged authorities to see this as a wake-up call. Enforcement, accountability, and prevention must be strengthened. Our highways should never be corridors of fear — not for students returning to campus, not for anyone.
As we grieve with the families of the 15 young lives lost — each with dreams now left unfinished — let us remember that real change is the only way to honour them. May their memories guide us toward safer roads and a future where such tragedies no longer steal our loved ones.