KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s Land Public Transport Agency (Apad) has temporarily banned the use of sockets in express buses until an investigation into the alleged electrocution of a youth on a bus is concluded, said Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

       “Currently, all buses have been restricted from using these sockets temporarily. We want to determine the cause of the electrocution incident,” said Mr Loke in Parliament on Nov 7.

       He said the special task force appointed to investigate the matter has been given 14 days to produce a report on the cause of the incident.

       Mr Loke added that the findings of the report will be announced and that the Energy Commission has been enlisted for advice.

       “After the special task force concludes the report, we are ready to work with the Energy Commission if the ministry is required to make improvements in terms of reviewing standard operating procedures (SOPs) and whether to allow the use of sockets on buses,” he said.

       Mr Loke was responding to a supplementary question by Merbok MP Mohd Nazri Abu Hassan about whether the ministry will work with the Energy Commission and Apad to ensure sockets and lighting that require electricity are tested for safety before approval is given.

       To another supplementary question by Tanjung Manis MP Yusuf Abd Wahab on the safety of such charging ports on flights, Mr Loke said there are standards that aircraft manufacturers must adhere to when installing these ports.

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       Similarly, trains on the Electric Train Service – an inter-city service – have a standard to adhere to.

       He said the ministry will review SOPs to include socket safety checks for buses.

       On Nov 2, an 18-year-old was found unresponsive in his seat on an express bus at Penang Sentral at around 6pm. The incident allegedly occurred after the victim was electrocuted while charging his phone on the bus. Witnesses reported hearing the victim scream before he started frothing at the mouth.

       Police investigations following an interview with a witness determined that the victim had boarded the express bus to KL Sentral.

       A post-mortem conducted at Hospital Seberang Jaya revealed no other injuries and found no evidence of foul play.

       On Nov 3, Mr Loke announced the establishment of a special task force to investigate the incident.

       The task force comprises personnel from Apad, the Road Transport Department and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK