PETALING JAYA: The father of the five-year-old boy who died in a school van on Wednesday (30 April) in Johor Bahru has expressed his disappointment with the driver and the kindergarten management over their alleged negligence.
The father, Teo Jia, said he had lost his one and only son, Yu Zie, whom he cherished and treated with the utmost care.
He had been sending Yu to the kindergarten since the boy was two-years-old.
The 37-year-old said he received the devastating news at around 1pm via a phone call from the kindergarten, which urged him to go straight to the hospital.
Teo is currently working in Singapore, according to Kosmo.
“The teacher called and told my wife and me to go to the nearby private hospital immediately because our child had an emergency.
“When I got there, I saw my son lying there – stiff, weak and not breathing. The doctor said they tried their best to save his life,“ he was quoted as saying.
Teo explained that the van driver had picked up his son from their residence in Taman Bukit Indah at around 7.15 am.
He said the van usually arrived at the kindergarten, located about two kilometres from their home, at around 8.15am.
“I was told that upon arriving, the van driver ushered the children into the kindergarten, then left the van near the premises and went home on a motorcycle.
“Maybe my son had fallen asleep at the time, and the driver didn’t notice. By 12pm, he was found unconscious at the van door, possibly trying to get out but unable to,“ he added.
“I am truly disappointed — the driver should properly check the van to ensure all the children have alighted before locking or leaving it.
“The kindergarten was also careless. They should have checked the attendance. If a child is absent, they should call the parents to ask about the child’s whereabouts,“ he said.
Teo also mentioned that he and his wife used to personally send Yu to kindergarten, but halfway through the school term, they decided to use the school van service.
