A 57-year-old lorry driver has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of drugs following a tragic accident in Johor Baru that claimed the life of a seven-year-old Singaporean boy.

I. Muniandy @ Ang Ah Leang faced three charges in court on Thursday (March 21) related to the March 16 incident along Jalan Pantai, according to Bernama news agency reports. The most serious charge involves causing the death of young Mohamad Noah Saliqin Mohamad Khairuz.

The horrific collision occurred when Muniandy allegedly lost control of his vehicle, slamming into an oncoming Singapore-registered car. The impact was so severe that little Noah was ejected from the vehicle, later succumbing to his injuries in hospital on March 17.

Additional charges relate to injuries sustained by two other victims - car driver Mohamad Khairuz Bahrawi, 44, and passenger Lina Yulianti, 38. The boy's mother and a two-year-old sibling escaped with minor injuries from the devastating crash.

Johor police confirmed earlier that drug tests showed Muniandy had methamphetamine in his system at the time of the accident.

The court set bail at RM4,000 (S$1,200) per charge while imposing strict conditions including passport surrender and license suspension pending trial outcome. Muniandy must also make monthly police station reports and avoid any contact with victims' families as proceedings continue.

A potentially lengthy prison sentence looms if convicted - between 10-15 years plus heavy fines for causing death, with additional penalties for injury-related charges carrying possible jail terms up to a decade per count upon conviction. All convictions would trigger automatic driving bans lasting at least seven years minimum.

The case returns to court on April 23 as authorities continue their investigation into this heartbreaking incident that has left families grieving across borders.