Stating that he did not wish to speculate on the matter, Liow said there were many areas to look into to ascertain what really happened the day of the crash.
“It is a serious accident. I have directed Miros to carry out a detailed investigation into the accident. I have yet to receive the report.
“We are concerned over the accident that resulted in so many deaths.
“We are sad but we need to ensure this does not happen again.”
He was speaking to reporters at a press conference on the World Chinese Economic Summit, that will take place in Hong Kong next month.
Liow said his ministry would also look into ways to tighten enforcement on bus drivers and consider the possibility of introducing safety features like black boxes and cameras in buses.
“We have to study these. In the past, agencies have come up with such proposals.
“We have done a lot of enforcement, but unfortunately this still happened.
“We have to further strengthen and enhance the safety campaign; also enhance enforcement and education. There are many areas to look into.”
Liow said this was the most serious crash involving factory buses so far. Previous crashes involved express and tour buses.
The accident occurred at 6.50am at Km147, along the North-South Expressway (PLUS), near the Juru toll plaza in Seberang Perai. More than 40 factory workers were also injured.
A bus carrying workers to the Plexus factory was reported to have rammed into the back of another bus carrying Sony factory workers that had stalled just minutes before.
Central Seberang Perai police chief ACP Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abdul Hamid said the stalled bus had experienced a mechanical failure and had stopped on the emergency lane of the expressway just before the accident occurred.
“The second bus was moving so fast at the point of impact that it forced the first bus into the right-most lane (fast lane) and even hit the divider along the middle of the highway,” Nik Ros said.
NST Online had also reported that the two factory bus drivers, aged 23 and 37, had been remanded until Friday to assist in investigations.
Nik Ros was reported as saying that the younger driver had three warrants of arrest against him for driving without a driver’s licence, beating the traffic lights and not wearing a seat belt. The other had no past traffic offences.