M'sian boy, 1, dies in horrific 4-vehicle accident, transport minister blames lack of child safety seat

Malaysian Transport Minister Anthony Loke defended his remarks on the importance of child seats after netizens accused him of "victim-blaming".

New Straits Times reported that he said: "If people want to condemn or be angry, that is fine. I can accept it. But I will remain firm in reminding everyone of the importance of child seats for children."

This comes after Loke suggested that the lack of a child safety seat may be the reason why a one-year-old baby boy was killed in Selangor on Sep. 27.

Loke said in response to the accident: "This is not about blaming the parents or victims, but a reminder to everyone.

According to Malaysian media, he said that if "there had been a child seat, the baby would not have been thrown out and might have survived".

"When the Transport Ministry mandates and encourages the use of child seats, many complain. But when incidents like this occur, it proves their importance."

The boy was reportedly not placed in a child seat during the accident caused by a worn-out lorry, according to a police report and initial investigations.

The boy was then trapped in another vehicle involved in the accident.

Child of new parents

The New Straits Times reported that the boy had a twin brother. His parents were Amirul Ridzuan Abu Bakar, 39, and his wife Nurul Husna Khairuddin, 38.

They welcomed the twins in 2024.

On the morning of Sep. 27, Husna had taken her children, Amir Husain and Amir Hasan, for breakfast with her mother-in-law.

The accident was said to have occurred on their way to a restaurant in TTDI Grove, a park in Malaysia.

Big accident

The accident, which killed the one-year-old baby boy and injured eight others, involved four vehicles at the Bukit Kajang Toll Plaza in Selangor on Sep. 27.

The accident involved a three-tonne lorry carrying scrap items, a Nissan X-Trail four-wheel drive belonging to the Public Works Department (JKR), a Honda City, and a Proton X70, Malay Mail and Free Malaysia Today (FMT) reported.

Following the accident, The Malay Mail reported that the Malaysian police arrested a 42-year-old lorry driver.

Police revealed that the lorry driver has three criminal records related to drug and criminal offences, as well as four previous summonses for traffic violations in 2013 and 2016.

A urine test on the man came back negative for drugs and alcohol.

Lorry's maintenance issues

However, the lorry was supposedly found to have maintenance issues.

Malay Mail reported that according to Loke's statement on Sep. 29, records showed the lorry had two valid permits and had passed inspection at Puspakom, the national vehicle inspection centre.

The Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros) is investigating the lorry and focusing particularly on the vehicle’s braking system, which apparently malfunctioned.

Miros said its Crash Investigation Team is investigating whether brake failure or other factors were the primary cause of the tragic incident.

Miros added that it is working closely with relevant authorities, including the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), Road Transport Department (JPJ), and the Land Public Transport Agency (APAD), to ensure a thorough investigation.

"This evaluation is crucial in identifying the root cause and formulating effective preventive measures," it said.

Data

According to scientific database ScienceDirect.com, a paper published in 2024 stated that faulty vehicles are among the most significant causes of accidents.

Free Malaysia Today reported that Malaysian deputy transport minister Hasbi Habibollah said an average of one child died every day in accidents on Malaysian roads between 2011 and 2020.

72 per cent of the road fatalities which involved children aged five years and below happened when they were passengers in vehicles.

Top photos via @BuletinTV3/X, @SinarOnline/X, Sinar Harian