IPOH, June 9 -- The bus that crashed along the East-West Highway near Tasik Banding in Gerik this morning, killing 15 people, was privately hired by Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) students and not part of any official university programme.

UPSI vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Md Amin Md Taff said the students had arranged the bus rental themselves for their return to campus after the Hari Raya Aidiladha holidays.

"Sometimes, university students who come from the same village or nearby areas will rent a bus privately to go home and return to UPSI.

"So the bus they took was not hired by UPSI, but arranged on their own initiative. This has long been a common practice," he was quoted by Berita Harian as telling reporters at the Raja ...