KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) has temporarily banned the use of sockets on express buses until the matter is investigated. alleged electrocution of a young person on a bus is concluded, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

“Currently, all buses are temporarily unable to use these sockets. We want to determine the cause of the electrocution,” Mr. Loke told Parliament on November 7.

He said the special task force investigating the matter had 14 days to produce a report on the cause of the incident.

Mr Loke added that the findings of the report will be announced and that the Energy Commission has been sought for advice.

“Once the special task force concludes the report, we are ready to work with the Energy Commission if the ministry is required to make improvements in terms of reviewing standard operating procedures (SOPs) and whether or not to allow the use of sockets on buses,” he said. said.

Mr Loke was responding to a supplementary question from Merbok MP Mohd Nazri Abu Hassan on whether the ministry would work with the Energy Commission and Apad to ensure that sockets and lighting which require electricity are tested for safety before approval is given.

Responding to another follow-up question from Tanjung Manis MP Yusuf Abd Wahab on the safety of these charging ports on flights, Mr Loke said there are standards that aircraft manufacturers must follow when installing these ports.

Similarly, trains on the Electric Train Service – an intercity rail service – must also meet a standard.

He said the ministry would revise the SOPs to include socket safety checks for buses.

On November 2, an 18-year-old was found unconscious in his seat on an express bus in Penang Sentral at around 6 p.m. The incident reportedly happened after the victim was electrocuted while charging her phone on the bus. Witnesses reported hearing the victim screaming before he started foaming at the mouth.

Police investigation following a witness interview determined that the victim had boarded the express bus bound for KL Sentral.

An autopsy conducted at Seberang Jaya Hospital revealed no other injuries and found no evidence of foul play.

On November 3, Mr. Loke announced the creation of a special task force to investigate the incident.

The task force includes staff from Apad, the Department of Road Transport and the Malaysian Road Safety Research Institute. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK