Bus driver’s wife claims there was no second driver

She says she accompanied her husband at his request as it was a long drive from Penang to Johor Bahru and back to Kuala Lumpur.

GEORGE TOWN: The wife of express bus driver Zakeer Zubir, 33, who was killed in the road accident in Pagoh, Johor, on Dec 24, has claimed there was no second driver for the bus driven by her husband.

Miyarseh Kemat, 33, who was treated at the Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital (HPSF), Muar before being transferred to Hospital Pulau Pinang (HPP), here on Dec 28, said her husband had not dropped off the second driver as claimed by the bus company concerned earlier.

Miyarseh had accompanied her husband following a request by Zakeer as he had to drive a long distance from Penang to Johor and back to Kuala Lumpur.

“Throughout the journey, there was no second driver at all and I had accompanied my husband at his request.

“I also do not remember how the accident happened because I was sleeping at that time and only woke up following the chaos and screams from the people,” said the Indonesian national to reporters when met at HPP here today.

Fourteen people, including the driver’s youngest child, Nur Natasha Zahara, 1, were killed in the accident at Km137.3 of the North-South Expressway.

Earlier, Miyarseh received compensation of RM1,500 from Penang Social Security Organisation (Socso) manager Shaharuddin Waled. Present was HPP director Dr Norsidah Ismail.

Shaharuddin said Miyarseh was also eligible to a monthly pension of RM1,300 for life and her children could apply for education loans from Socso to finance their tertiary education.

Miyarseh said so far no representative from the bus company had visited her or her husband’s family members to ask how she was or to offer help. -FMT