Latest update at 2.17pm 30/1/2008:
THE PETITION IS UP! GO TO BUSCRASHNOMORE.BLOGSPOT.COM. Again, please tell everyone about it. Put on bulletins, forums, emails…anything. Just spread it. Ning and the others died for us to realize that this has to stop. Please help us push for safer bus rides for you, me and everyone else.
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UPDATE 30/10/08: The petition is up on a proper blog but some tweaking is being done. Though the ideas below are very very good, but for fear of disappointments, we are going to appear as a solid voice of thousands to insist on a change based on the authorities’ own initiatives.
Email from Jason and co: “The demands are rather general because demands which are too ambitious might disappoint us. Hopefully they can set up a body made up of professionals to study this problem and find solutions to solve it. We give them a chance to use their own discretion to fix this problem once and for all rather than dictating to them the steps they must take (in which they will likely ignore).”
Again, watch this space, we will try to make the blog as informative as possible, as collective as possible before going public with it. Thanks guys. I wonder if Nian Ning would’ve been happy to know she is worthy of such humongous efforts and concerns. I’m sure she would have been proud. I know I would!
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Update: I realize that most of us who fear for future occurrences of bus crashes are usually students. Please come up with ideas for the petition and leave it in the comments. I will try to work on it and Jason has mentioned that Ning’s friends are planning to work on it too. We’ll be in touch. Please spare a thought and think about how we can stop this once and for all. As we’re still deciding exactly how to go about this petition, please leave your email address in the comments so that when we wrap everything up, we’ll get you in on it.
Chung Lern smsed me this afternoon saying that the family will be taking action against Konsortium and he asked me to help propagate this message to the entire blogosphere. I will try my very best.
I think at this rate, all of us have pretty much given up on the government and their so called efforts to stop bus crashes from happening.
Bus crashes will continue to happen because buses, I believe, are being subbed out to subcontractors and there would be great difficulty in pinpointing who is managing all these buses. When you have so many levels of ‘management’, bribery happens and even if the authorities have nothing to do with it, it’s not easy for them to stop it.
I fear to think about what will happen this Chinese New Year season.
But I, as one person of many, believe that the bus company should take responsibility. They have not shown any remorse or taken any initiative over the incident, as reported in the papers today.
After a thorough comb through of news articles, blogs and forums, the moments before the bus landed on its side continues to haunt me.
According to the survivors, the top deck was swaying left and right as the driver was going really fast. Some passengers at the bottom deck saw the driver smsing a lot and driving really fast in the heavy rain. After awhile the passengers felt something amiss and saw the bus driver STAND UP suddenly(while the bus was moving!) and split seconds later, the passengers screamed really loudly and the bus spun three times, hit the divider and careened to the opposite highway where an oncoming MPV crashed into the back of the bus. Nian Ning and Mohd Zailani were sitting at the back row. I’m not sure about the other chinese boy who also passed away. But that’s what I’ve gathered. The passengers of the MPV only suffered minor injuries. To add insult to the injury, the bus driver only sustained a broken right leg. I’m curious to know what is happening to him now though.
If you’ve yet to read about the issue, please go to these links:
Family mourns loss of beautiful, intelligent go-getter
Bus crash: Driver had 13 outstanding summonses
2 killed, 24 hurt in bus crash
A facebook group has also been set up in memory of her:
In Loving Memory of Lee Nian Neng(1987-2008).
Please post this on your blog now to help:
Chung Lern and Nian Ning’s families would like all families and friends of the victims, dead or alive, in the Slim River Bus Crash to come forward and join them in taking action against the bus company. Stand up to seek justice for these three innocent individuals, who were all so young and full of life.
If you have a blog, please call out to ANYONE who
knows someone who survived or did not survive
the crash to come forward to join the Lee family.
Make a huge difference, make a huge fuss.
For now, you may contact Lee Chung Lern at chunglern@gmail.com or preferably on his handphone at 012-6670368.
A petition will always come into good use in times like these. We’ve yet to grasp the objectives of the petition but of course it would be forwarded to the bus company, the ministry of transport(nevermind, we can still try our luck) and being a tad bit ambitious, the prime minister.
We don’t want to disturb Chung Lern and Nian Ning’s family yet, but we’re trying to understand what are our objectives if a petition should be made. Please give us your suggestions and watch this space.
I don’t want to be seen as overly nosy in the business of someone I don’t know but I feel that the demise of these innocent lives were so uncalled for. I’m feeling my friend’s pain. It could’ve been me, I can’t stress that enough. This is the most that I can do.
For all you know, it could be me, just your average young bus rider wanting to go home.
She’s my senior in high school
My eldest sister’s classmate.
This bus crash,lives sacrificed thingy has got to stop.
If there is a petition going on,please let me know. I will post up in my blog too.
Thank you.
jo: i’m sorry for your loss. 🙁 i hope to discuss with chung lern asap but we must remain sensitive. it concerns a lot of us as well. as for now, what you can do is to put this up on ur blog too to garner support, awareness and for all you know a family member of a victim might share the Lee family’s sentiment and can thus join them in taking a action.
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Like Vingie, Nian Ning was a senior in my school. If any sort of petition is going on, I will post it on my blog too and pass the word around.
jo: i hope there will be one. suggestions are needed for drafting this petition. for now you can increase awareness about how the bus company is in the wrong by putting up a shout out to any family members of the victims or the victims themselves to come forward to handle this issue together.
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Petition for:
– safer limit of number of passengers on a bus; not only express buses but the public bus as well.
– making the bus company liable for damages (aren’t they?)
– make a speed cut device that limits the bus speed to like 80 or something.
– make it compulsory for the bus driver to do a check up on his state of mind, health monthly
– make it compulsory that buses go for their inspection monthly.
– motorist with shit loads of saman should have their license ban.
– when buying a ticket a ticket holder should be able to have the name of driver / IC / License no. so that they can check for any saman under his name.
The other guy who died is Stewie’s friend’s cousin.
I felt the impact and the anger you are feeling now too, Jo because I am also one of many students who have to depend on the bus services to travel from Nilai, where i am studying now to my hometown in Ipoh once a month.
These avoidable tragic bus crashes has to stop! and something has to be done..pronto!
So, do let me know if i could be any help and I will do my best to help in any way. About the petition, please get me informed. I’ll post it on my blog too.
Time and time again, accidents like this happen. I know the feeling of fear that comes when getting on to the bus and praying that it makes its way safely to KL. Please keep us updated… I’ve closed my blog but I will try my best to spread the word to many of us here who have no other mode of transport back to our homes…
Perhaps double decker buses shouldn’t have passengers on the top deck unless the bottom is full. Not implying they driver was innocent, but perhaps it could have been a factor. Yeah… consider adding that to the petition
I hope the lawsuit goes well. Not in her loving memory perhaps, she’s gone… nothing changes that. We have all suffered a terrible loss, and I hope others don’t have to live through this nightmare.
I’m still reeling from shock even as I type this. It was just too soon, too sudden…
Too tragic……
I don’t know you, miss, and I doubt you know me either. I don’t have a (functioning) blog, but if there is anything else I can help, please do drop me an email or something.
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=d5d4ee2c067a456e7c0f
was browsing thru facebook and saw memoir of nian ning. i am truly sorry yr lost and my heart goes out to her parents . i cannot imagine my life without my best fren and i cannot imagine who it would feel lose a good fren. i pray tat i wouldn;t have to go thru wat u guys are going thru. it must hurt a lot.
i came across the link above a few months back , i dun wan to be preachy or anything like that , i just hope it might help …
and maybe if it does , it would help the family too …
once again … i am truely sorry for the lost ….
regards
joanna
i do not know u guys personally, but have been reading u & chung lern’s blog for some time now – my condolences to ning’s family and friends. they were such a sweet couple 🙁
Nian Ning was my junior when she came to Singapore for a couple of months. We stayed in the same hostel and shared a lot of memories, even in such a short time span, and losing her leaves a huge vacuum in my heart right now.
I will definitely post any kind of petition on my blog. Bless everyone for trying to find justice.
Joleen, do update us about the petition Chung Lern and Co. are coming up with. Nian Ning’s friends from Penang including myself are planning something like that as well but instead of working on it separately, maybe we can share ideas and help one another to achieve its aim.
I get to your website through nianz blog. I do feel for you all (nian’s friends) how you all have to go through this tough time. I have a suggestion. Email your article here to labisman@yahoo.com, a adminstrator of Malaysia-Today website and ask him if he can put your article and petition on the website. From there, a lot of peoples will sign the petition about this matter. Malaysia Today website not only a website about politic, but anything to do with Malaysia that require improvement they will do it. It had almost half a million viewer each day. Trust me it really help you guys, if you guys want to gain people to sign the petition. I hope the bus driver will be punish!
HI there. I knew Nian Ning through camp when I was 15, she was my senior, she was really helfpul and nice to chat with even after the camp whenver we bumped into each other. I still have a group photo with her which sits on the shelf in front of my bed. Funny how I was just looking at it the other day before I heard the tragic news. May she rest in piece, she was a good person and even though I wasn’t close to her, I will truly miss her.
I’m responding to your entry because I’d like to contribute suggestions for the petition. I’ve always had a thing for the government, time after time I would constantly be complaining about what the government is doing for its country. This whole incident initiated more anger from me towards the bus company and the government.
For starters, why are double decker buses being used for interstate travel?? If the company thinks they can save less and earn more from more people sitting in a bus, they are purely out of their minds who do not have a clue about physics. All double decker buses should be banned for interstate travel and only be used for city purposes. I also agree with what Kok Keith has suggested.
I think all bus companies who disobeyed the law with whatever regulations that had been set (bus inspections, employees driving records, etc) should be reprimanded because they are responsible of the passengers safety . The should not only check records of bus drivers, but also strip the licenses of the owners of the bus companies, because it is these owners that do not bother about such things.
The most important thing I’d like to point out is restructuring the driving tutoring system (sorry I’m not sure how you would phrase it). I’m not sure how buses and lorry drivers go for their training, but for cars, there’s only a minimum of 8 house practice. The government must clearly be joking thinking one person can drive in 8 hours. Yes, you can learn to drive in that amount of time, but it purely does not mean you are competent on the road. It takes many years of experience to be a competent driver. I’m pretty sure that heavy vehicle training goes through something similar to as of cars, so the ministry of transport should increase the training time not just for cars and motorbikes but for heavy vehicles as well. More hours, proper training in all conditions of weather, and no bribing. The main cause for accidents are due to incompetent drivers. And to think you would trust anybody with your life?
I hope something is done. The death of our loved one is the consequence of the carelessness of the authorities. Right now we should not only fight for Nian Ning and her family, but also for the sake of other citizens of Malaysia. I totally support everybody in favour of the petition, so do update on the issue.
Rest in piece Nian Ning.
My deepest condolences to Nian Ning’s family & friends.
Like many others, I am in support of the petition and if it is still on do email me and let me know.
The Malaysian goverment have got to start taking measures to overcome cases like these happening in future. It is true that they can never cut it off completely as in many cases it is the fault of the driver, but what they could do is be more careful when choosing drivers.
In this case, why is the driver still on the road? With 13 pending summons, he shouldnt even be hired. Bus companies that take up contracts should understand that although they may be saving the trouble and perhaps the money as well by hiring people like these to drive busses, they must at the same time be aware that they are transporting thousands of people. They need to realize that by doing this, they are putting millions at stake.
The report in The Star Monday 28 Jan drawn my attention to the tragic death of Nian Ning and 2 other young guys. May their soul rest in peace.
Although I have not taken any ride on any Konsortium buses, I feel disgusted each time I see a Konsortium bus approaching from the rear while I am driving on the PLUS expressway. I usually drive at the 110kph speed limit and guess what, the Konsortium bus can overtake me within seconds! You can imagine how fast the bus is going when the speed limit for buses is 90kph!
A number of times, while I was overtaking slower vehicle on the fast lane, the Konsortium bus would trail me closely flashing the headlights. How did he expect me to move to the left lane while I am overtaking a vehicle? Why the impatience of the bus driver?
I know of many friends who are from Penang and Taiping, and when I asked them which bus they take back, the answer is always Konsortium, and the reason, the bus is fast!!! Don’t they feel unsafe about the speeding Konsortium buses?
Perhaps we all should boycott the dark-red-colored Konsortium buses. Many accidents, some fatal involving Konsortium buses happened in the last few years. How many more people would have to die before action is taken? I wish that this tragic incident would now put a stop to the irresponsible drivers of Konsortium and other bus companies.
I would rather ride a bus which goes slower, e.g. Transnasional, at least I feel safer travelling in it. Biar Lambat Asal Selamat!
Jolene [and the rest of you all],
This is Nian Ning’s blog.
http://nianz.blogspot.com/2007_03_01_archive.html
Go to March 08 2007.
I actually shed tears while reading the capture underneath the picture.
Dear Jolene, I will always be here for Nian Ning family and friends. When they need any help, do not hesitate to inform me. I will give in my very best to help.
Dear Jolene,
I came from 5Xmom site. Though we do not know each other in person, I believe we do feel the same way for Nian Ning, and lots of anger of our local transport safety management.
i will post this up tomorrow.
i think they should really check on the bus drivers before letting them drive on each and every trip. it’s just sickenning to know that there are SO many accidents involving buses, and yet the authorities do not do ANYTHING about it.
Everytime on the highway we see buses speeding on the fast lane, recklessly overtaking slower cars, cutting into people’s lane dangerously, even after so many incidents, they’re still doing it.
My deepest condolence to Nian Ning and her friends and families.
First flood konsortium phone lines.
Call Tel No : 05-8918888!
And tell everyone not to take korsortium.
Hi, Jolene. I leave my email here, t3ngt3ng@gmail.com. Anything you need my help just give me a buzz. Will try to do my best. I’d posted the message in my blog, will spread the message around.
My heartfelt condolences to Nian Ning and those close to her. May those who perished, have their souls rest in peace. Their young lives have been robbed away by irresponsible people, and I suggest we speak up for those who can’t anymore.
I am deeply saddened that a young promising life has been robbed by an accident that should have never occurred. We forget too fast….this isn’t the first and it won’t be the last. The nation will continue losing loved ones until our government decide to wake up from their deep slumber to actually do something. This will continue to happen until we stop forgetting the past.
On a personal experience…I was once travelling on a Transnasional bus. The drive had just acquired a new handphone. Halfway through the journey, when we were passing Seremban (this was before the roads were widened), the driver started reading the manual whilst driving. I sent a SMS to 32888 but never received any reply. The next week when I went back to the same bus station, I saw the same driver..driving the same bus and I died a little inside.
My deepest condolences to Nian Ning’s families and friends. Nobody deserves to suffer the way they are suffering now just because some idiot couldn’t refrain from using the bloody handphone. Those of us who have never known Nian Ning have now been robbed off the privilege of ever getting to know her.
Yes, the elections are coming, please do hand out more public holidays to the nation and spending million of ringgit on sculptures and fountains that we don’t need instead of looking into what really matters.
A friend called me yesterday to tell me about the bus crash because he knows some of my family members regularly take the bus (although not konsortium).
I am disgusted that such incidences can still occur even after all those promises to crack down on the drivers/bus companies.
you are right when you say that most of us have given up on the gomen. time to take things into our own hands. if there is a petition going on, please include me.
i will definitely post about this tonite.
my deepest condelences to Nian Ning’s family and also the family of Mohd Zailini. all this ‘accidents’ need to stop.
Although I don’t know her, the tragedy shocked me tremendously. Someone of my age but…
What happen to the society these days? Not only the driver must be prosecuted but the owner and manager of the bus service must be brought to court as well. They tried to cover up the fact that the driver has multiple summons.
Anyway, my deepest condolences to Nian Ning’s family. You’ll have my support, morally and spiritually. God bless!
“First flood konsortium phone lines.
Call Tel No : 05-8918888!
And tell everyone not to take korsortium. ”
don’t be silly and pathetic. many malaysians are apathetic, myself included and i will kontinue to take konsortium if i have no choice and other bus $$$$. and konsortium is rich and suing them is nothing to them since they afford to drag 5yrs, 10yrs and they have a lot of money. the only body can struck is gov, yeah if gov is concern ppl welfare they shoud suspend konsortium, revoke its license, confiscate their buses, and hold the directors liable for deaths, and charge the driver murder. this is certainly not the first time konsortium in this bloody mess, and they sure have impressive record of accidents and death. yeah, the gov and press should set public inquiry on konsortium how they hire the drivers, manage the org and charge the directors for mismanagement and negligence coz death. maybe ppl should draft letters to mp to look into this (my english vocab is not good). election is near, and at very least, if konsortium is shut down, the gov do public favour by saving more lives stopping them boarding rogue busses – like they ban drugs and suspend newspapers!
i bet if konsortium ppl reading, they are laughing coz this wouldn’t happen in m’sia!!!! btw, you can email me if you think something good that you need public help….
my condolences to the family, and i hope that justice will prevail!
Hey, you know what we all youth can do? MAKE A CHANGE!
All buses are equipped with a black box. That black box would not be damaged easily and contains information throughout the whole journey. It will be key data to know what exactly happened. If you would form a movement to MAKE A CHANGE to the coach industry, please do let me know. I will join in.
What I would suggest will be a petition to
– initiate a check on all bus drivers. Not just check-check but thorough check.
– boycott bus companies without driver producing valid proof of driving license.
– each journey’s driver must produce and display his driving license at the bus.
– bus companies must produce and display bus permit at the bus.
– there should be a limiter set in each bus/coach for its speed limit.
– pass out information of questions to be asked before purchasing that bus’ ticket. Q like company eligibility, summons available, and so on.
That’s my 2 cents. 🙂
im all up for the support. just let me know what i can do of help. it is already in my blog.
Calling JPA and Korsortium and noone gonna stop me.
Yes. I am pathetic. Agreed. But at least I will do something.
If you have better idea than calling, go ahead and shoot me.
Dear Jolene,
It took me a while to realize who it was that actually passed away in that bus crash and i am devastated. Though i did not know Nian Ning, I do know how it feels like to lose someone very close. My condolences to her family and i hope that Chung Lern is holding up well.
I was also on a bus on Friday afternoon. Was taking the bus back home for the weekend. And it is pretty scary once you think about what could have happened to me or you or anyone else who takes the bus so frequently.
The problem i feel is with the enforcement of rules and regulations. We shouldn’t only be going after the bus companies, but we should also be writing to the government agencies in charge of these bus companies. Demand to know why there is a lack of enforcement. How is it that a bus which had 12 summons could be allowed on a road? How the hell did the bus driver obtain a frickin licence if he was speeding while it was raining and sms-ing at the same time? How is it that that bus company, which has a reputation of being involved in a lot of accidents, not be closed down or suspended from its services?
Something has to be done. And this is the best time because as the elections draw near, the government would hate to have a reason for the people to not like them.
Please let me know how i can help you in your petition for a better system for all of us. I would hate to see this happening again.
You have my email address =)
Melissa
Nothin else as i expressed my hearties condolence to Nian Ning’s family. She’s indeed a great girl & senior. She taught me to have detemination & stamina as she has during our trainin in sports running when secondary sch times. Nian Ning; u wont be forgotten. Really !!!
About the irresponsible bus driver that cause the death of Lee Nian Ning, & two other victims. But i can say dat, he’s not in a good condition now. Dono how wanna express my angerness to him. Just leave it to God to punish him. Im sure he’ll re-pay wat he has to pay 1 day !
Nian Ning was my senior in secondary school too. She was a really dedicated guides and student. My condolences to her family and I hope they will pull through this. And I’m sure she will not be forgotten by all of us!
I think the bus company should be responsible too! For allowing such a monster to still drive the bus!! I just hope that the bus driver and the bus company will receive the punishment!
Friends, it IS time to really ponder upon what the government is doing. This is not the first bus crash which has claimed lives. It is happening over and over again. Perhaps we, the Rakyat should stand up once and for all and DEMAND that the government do something about road safety. They are very quick to act (and judge) over small matters like someone’s intimate DVD but are extremely slow to enforce public transport safety despite the many accidents involving criminal bus drivers. How can such criminal drivers be allowed to continue driving and endangering our lives? It can only happen when the autohrities close their eyes and issues licenses for small personal rewards in return. Four years ago, someone pledged to eradicate corruption for a cleaner law enforcement…. Today, we wonder if he is still awake though he claims to be in full control….My friends, wisen up! It is time for us, rakyat from all walks of life, all races and religions, to unify and INSIST the government do something tangible for once!
Nian Ning and I were schoolmates and my friends and I were just talking about starting a petition with regards to the recent tragedy. It’s great to see that we’re not the only ones so passionate about trying to put an end to all this selfishness and irresponsibility.
Please, do contact me if there are are updates on the petition.
Keep Pelf in the loop, OK?
Need help just gimme a buzz.
We bloggers have your back! Let us know if there’s anything that we could do to help.. I really think all these bulls*it has to stop also!
Please accept my condolences to Nian Ning and those close to her
When I first heard about the news, I thought it was just another tragic account of a human being, commonly reported on the news.
Yet, further reads made me realized that she wasn’t just an average jane. She had friends which she hanged out with, just like us. A family which cared for her and to go back too, which we all longed for…especially those out of country. She had a bright future in front of her, in med-school and all that…
But…sadly, it had to be taken away from her so tragically…
I’ve been on Konsortium buses more than once, and actually trusted them in transporting me ‘safely’ to my destination. This event no doubt has changed my trust in them. Selfishness, unawareness, unlawful, irresponsible; whatever we call them. We have all to many of these bus crashes on our highways…
And it needs to be stopped…
May her soul rests in the comforts of God’s sanctuary..
I didn’t knew her…but she definitely “touched more people than she knew”
i’ll help too 🙂
i don’t have a blog anymore to publish the petition, but i am willing to extent my help in some other forms.
i never know it’s gonna hurt so much when someone you knew of their existence, though not directly related, pass away in such a tragic way.
something has to be done, and i am willing to help. esp when it concerns us, who depend so much on these buses to go home. we just want to go home safely, we are asking only for this much.
i hate to say this, but if anyone has to die, it will have to be the one who cause the avoidable tragic accident and no one else…
Hi, i’m chung lern’s friend and i’ve come to this site through facebook.As all of us have known, we have lost a very precious friend of ours. I would really like to do something to help Chung lern and ning’s family. Eventhough this will not replace the losses in their heart, but I hope i can do something to help. I would really like to help in the petition if i could. Please let me know the details of the petition.
Dear Jolene, I have linked your blog to a post dedicated to Nian Ning, I hope it’s alright with you.
Please keep updating to let me know how I can help, far as I may be right now.
xx
hey. am cL’s friend. all up for this!
r.i.p. nian ning.
Jolene, I do not know Nian Ning personally but tragedies like these should not have happened. Please update on progress and I will participate in any way I can.
hey lemme know if anything happens with the petition. i wanna join to fight too!! thanks..
First thing guys… Never again travel with Konsortium !!! and try to avoid travelling long distance by bus. (take airasia if u can)
My heartfelt condolences to Nian Ning’s family …and the two other victims.
My prayer for you, your family, boyfriend and your closest friends.
RIP. God Bless your family.
(signed the petition and will put up on my blog tomorrow)
petition will help but wouldn’t help much. Start calling JPA now and voice your concern in professional manner ( no pasar malam style please).
“Start calling JPA now and voice your concern in professional manner ( no pasar malam style please). ”
yeah right, they will hang up the phone before finish….
denzook, that’s just premature assumption.
If I was a that victim family I will sue that company ……………..
not few hundred thousand but few hundred million ringgit…..
this is not greedy but to teach other buses company to more careful
and NOT hire a driver which have BLACK LISTED by JPJ