Immigration officer suspended over Black Maria crash that killed 3

On August 19, a tragic crash occurred at the Maju Junction traffic light on Jalan Sultan Ismail, resulting in the deaths of three family members and leaving another critically injured. The immigration officer operating the black Maria, a specialized vehicle used for detaining undocumented migrants, was the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident.

The incident unfolded around 1am in the early hours of the morning when the immigration truck entered the intersection with its beacon and siren activated, despite the traffic light being red. This violation of standard operating procedures led to a collision with a Proton Saga car that was proceeding straight through the junction.

The force of the impact caused the immigration truck to lose control and crash into the family, killing the 53-year-old man and his two daughters aged 25 and 12. The man's 55-year-old wife was hospitalized in critical condition at Kuala Lumpur Hospital.

In response to the tragedy, the director-general of immigration, Zakaria Shaaban, announced the suspension of the involved immigration officer pending the outcomes of both police and internal investigations. Zakaria emphasized the commitment to cooperating fully with the police and conducting an internal probe into the compliance with standard operating procedures.

The drivers of both vehicles involved in the crash have been arrested to facilitate the ongoing investigation into the circumstances surrounding this fatal incident.