TAIPING: A former tour bus driver pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate’s Court here to driving under the influence of drugs, which caused the death of a Japanese tourist last year.
Hadzarshah Abu Hassan Al Sha’ari, 42, made his plea before Magistrate Ahmad Hamdi Mustafar on Monday.
He faced charges of driving a bus while under drug influence to the extent he could not properly control the vehicle, resulting in passenger Michiyo Saito’s death.
The alleged offence occurred at Kilometre 230.3 southbound of the North-South Expressway in Larut Matang and Selama district at 1.30 pm on October 24, 2024.
The charge falls under Section 44(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, carrying potential penalties of up to 15 years imprisonment and fines between RM50,000 and RM100,000.
Conviction also mandates a driving suspension of at least 10 years.
Magistrate Ahmad Hamdi granted Hadzarshah bail of RM10,000 with two sureties, including one family member and another working in Perak.
The court ordered the accused to report monthly to a nearby police station pending case disposal.
The case mention has been scheduled for December 4.
Deputy public prosecutor Nazura Azman handled the prosecution while lawyer Ahmad Mukmin Aimi Azmi from the National Legal Aid Foundation represented Hadzarshah.
Thirteen passengers including Japanese tourists sustained injuries when a tour bus crashed into a lorry’s rear at KM 230.3 of the North-South Expressway heading south on October 24 last year.
A 73-year-old Japanese female tourist involved in the accident died during treatment at Kuala Kangsar Hospital later that evening. – Bernama
