KUALA TERENGGANU: Yayasan Terengganu (YT) is considering to forge agreements with reputable bus operators to ferry Persatuan Mahasiswa Anak Terengganu (Permata) members back to their hometowns during long holidays or festive periods.
YT chief assistant director (higher education) Wan Mohamad Nazir Wan Jusoh said the move was to ensure the safety of students following the death of 15 Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students in a bus crash along Jalan Raya Timur- Barat (JRTB) in Gerik, Perak.
He added that the majority of students involved in the crash were Permata executive committee members and normal members from Besut and Setiu districts.
“We will discuss the suggestion and other improvements further at the higher management levels and Permata’s leadership ,“ he said when contacted today, and denied that the bus involved in the crash was prepared by Permata, pointing out that it was rented by the students themselves. He also noted that while the foundation had its own buses, they were not enough to handle the number of Permata members, which number around 10,000, throughout the country.
The buses were currently used for Imtiaz schools that had packed schedules and programmes throughout the year.
“We have 21 associations under Permata in the country, 19 of which are public universities and two private universities,” he added.
