Melaka road transport department (JPJ) director Muhammad Firdaus Shariff said that the case, filed under Section 57(1)(b)(vi) of the Land Public Transport Act 2010, would be mentioned at the Alor Gajah magistrates’ court.

He said JPJ was also seeking to forfeit the rights of the semi-tank trailer carrying cement powder, under Section 80(4) of the same law.

“We served a court summons to the Johor-based lorry company on Feb 7, and the case has been scheduled for mention on March 4.

“The charge pertains to overloading, as the lorry was found to be carrying 16,250kg – 31% above the permitted load limit,” he told reporters after a special operation in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration along Lebuh Alor Gajah-Melaka Tengah-Jasin near Melaka Sentral last night.

Seven people were killed and 33 injured in the crash, which involved a tour bus carrying 27 passengers, two lorries, a car, and a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV).

Preliminary investigations found that the tour bus struck a lorry’s dislodged tyre in the middle lane, causing it to lose control and veer into the opposite lane, colliding with three other vehicles.

The incident claimed the lives of five passengers in the MPV as well as the driver and a passenger of the bus.