The Land Public Transport Agency (APAD) has imposed a temporary ban on the use of charging sockets on all express buses pending an investigation into the death of a teenage passenger who was fatally electrocuted while charging his mobile phone on the vehicle, a local media outlet reported.

This temporary ban aims to allow a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident, according to Transport Minister Loke.

"We have also sought advice from the Energy Commission (ST), and if any improvements are necessary, the Ministry of Transport is prepared to work with ST to review the standard operating procedures that should be implemented before allowing wiring or the use of sockets on express buses," the minister stated.

Currently, charging sockets are classified as accessories, so they are not part of the inspection process conducted by vehicle inspection body Puspakom.

Associate Professor Law Teik Hua from Universiti Putra Malaysia's Road Safety Research Centre has called for charging ports in express buses to be included in the inspection checklist.

He noted that with the increase in the number of USB ports in vehicles, automotive integrated circuits should meet the Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) standards, a risk classification system defined by ISO 26262.

ASIL comprises four levels: A, representing the lowest risk, to D, the highest level of automotive hazard. While systems such as airbags, power steering, and anti-lock brakes are designed to meet ASIL-D standards, USB chargers are typically not required to adhere to ASIL standards as they do not directly impact critical systems.