Yesterday, I when to Nibong Tebal for the day to shoot a factory. We left my office at 7:30AM. On the way there, we saw a terrible accident. My cameraman stopped to take some footages of it while I drove on. We were in the company's car with the logo and everyone standing at the side of the road was probably wondering why we didn't stop.

Later in the night when we watched the news then we saw how terrible it was. Today, I read The Star and it looked even worst. According to my cameraman, he interviewed the Rescue personnel there and they said there was a motorcyclists following behind the bus. The motorcyclists saw the bus swerve a few times before driving of the road. I didn't see any brake marks on the road at the accident site. It was a straight road and it was very low traffic. The accident happened at 5.45AM. I think most probably the driver fell asleep or he had some mechanical malfunction on the bus.


From today's The Star
TAIPING: One of the country's worst road accidents, which occurred in the wee hours of yesterday on the North-South Expressway near here, was a disaster waiting to happen.

The driver had 13 traffic summonses - some still outstanding - and two warrants of arrest against him while the 20-year-old bus, which also had 19 summonses, did not even have the permit to ply the route.

The passengers of the bus, bound for Alor Star from Malacca, never stood a chance against such a poor record - 19 of them were killed along with the 37- year-old driver. Nine others including a three-yearold boy are in hospital, some in critical condition.

The bus company has been ordered to cease operations immediately.

THE VICTIMS

THE DEAD
1. Siti Sophia Ismail, 23, Alor Star
2. Teoh Kee Song, 34, Padang Temusu, Kedah
3. Zaiton Bachik, 56, Malacca
4. Nur Sharul Miza Mohd Khairi, 27, Sungai Petani
5. Tea Choon Joo, 36, Padang Temusu, Kedah
6. Zuliani Buang, 25, Tanjung Keling, Malacca
7. Shahril Afendi, 22, Alor Star
8. T. Krishnan, 46, from Taman Haji Muslim, Kuala Ketil, Kedah
9. Fadliz Ahmad, 22, Jalan Penaga, Taman Maju, Jasin, Malacca
10. Express bus driver Rohizan Abu Bakar, 37, Lorong 1/2, Taman Sri Petaling, Kulim, Kedah
11. Josli Arshad, 39, Jalan Dang Merdu, Jambatan Duyong, Malacca
12. Nazri Nordin, 35, Desa Baiduri, Jalan Ru 1, Bandar Baru, Ayer Itam, Penang
13. Pang Tee Min, 58, Jalan Ong Kim Wee, Malacca
14. Mohd Yazid Md Yusoh, 27, Jalan Kolam Air Utama, Fasa 4, Taman Maju, Jasin, Malacca
15. Kamis Said, 62, Batu 22 1/2, Pasir Gembor, Tanjung Bidara, Masjid Tanah, Malacca
16. Md Basri, Kampung Pulai Darat, Merlimau, Malacca
17. H. Abu Bakar, 37, from Medan, Indonesia
18. Sri Asiah, 32, Indonesian female - believed to be mother of a unidentified three-year-old boy in ICU
19. P. Sunderesvarar, 31, Kedah

* One dead still not identified

THE INJURED
1. Express bus co-driver P.Veeraman, 36, Taman Sri Merbau, Kulim, Kedah
2. Quang Ngol Hung, a male Vietnamese
3. Mohd Fauzi Hassan, 26
4. Chhatrapati Ejam, 24, a male Nepalese
5. Zurina Rashid, 23, Kuala Kedah
6. Mohd Zahidi Che Ahmad, 22, Klawang, Langkawi
7. Ngu Yeh Hui Vinh, 27, a male Vietnamese
8. Siew Ken Ming, 20, Malacca

* One injured still not identified


After we saw the accident, I was talking to my crew and I told them that it was actually the first day of the Hungry Ghost Festival. I explained to them that it was when the ghosts came out to wander the earth for a month. Some came to wreak havoc, that's why the Chinese have opera shows to entertain the spirits during the month.

I was wondering how mythologies like these develope. Could it be that in this month that there were more accidents that were likely to happen? What could cause it? Could it be the heat that makes people more careless? I wonder...