An express bus driver who went viral for allegedly driving in a drug-affected state while carrying 15 passengers from Perak to Johor Bahru has been sentenced to seven months’ jail and fined RM8,000 by the Magistrate’s Court in Alor Gajah.
Magistrate Dr Teoh Shu Yee handed down the sentence to Mohd Tamrin Ibrahim, 53, after he pleaded guilty once the charge was read to him in court.
He was charged with driving dangerously to the public at 3.50am on April 15 along Kilometer 196.1 of the North-South Expressway (southbound), near the Ayer Keroh interchange. The charge was framed under Section 42(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 (Amendment 2020), read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.
The court also imposed an additional five months’ jail if the accused fails to pay the fine. His driving licence has been suspended for five years starting from the date of arrest.
It is also understood that the accused is expected to face further charges under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.
Earlier, the suspect had surrendered at the Alor Gajah District Police Headquarters after a viral video showed him allegedly driving dangerously, prompting a police manhunt.
Alor Gajah police chief Superintendent Ahmad Abu Bakar said initial investigations revealed that the accused admitted to taking methamphetamine before starting his journey from Ipoh to Johor Bahru on the day of the incident.
