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The lorry driver who used his truck to stop a runaway express bus from crashing near a Perak tunnel last week walked away from Parliament today (23 June) with a certificate and RM10,000 in hand.
Wong Tuck Meng, 40, received the payout from Transport Minister Anthony Loke at a special ceremony in Parliament, funded by the Road Safety Council of Malaysia (MKJR) — the government’s national advisory body on road safety, chaired by the Transport Minister himself.
The money is the government’s way of saying thank you.
On 15 June, a Kedah-bound express bus lost its brakes going downhill near Menora Tunnel — a stretch on the North-South Expressway in Perak long known for its steep gradient and history of accidents — and slammed into the back of Wong’s lorry.
Instead of pulling away, Wong held steady — letting the bus push against his lorry while steering both vehicles toward the guardrail to slow everything down.
All 21 passengers on board walked away unhurt.
“Don’t Let Anyone Die” — The Only Thing On His Mind
Loke called him a “national hero” at the ceremony and said Wong’s actions proved there were still Malaysians willing to put others first.
Wong, a father of four children, kept it simple.
I just thought, don’t let anyone die. The bus was still a bit far, so I honked first to warn the cars ahead, then handled it from there.
The award was handed over while Loke was in Parliament to table the Road Transport (Amendment) Bill 2026 for its second reading — making it a rare moment where the same minister got to honour a road hero and push for safer roads on the same day.
READ MORE: [Watch] It Wasn’t Just Bravery, A Lorry Driver And Father Of Four Explains What He Actually Did
READ MORE: Malaysia’s RM300 Traffic Fine Is So Low, Some Drivers Would Rather Pay It Than Buy Insurance; That’s About To Change
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