KUALA LUMPUR – The driver of the infamous Perodua Bezza involved in a high-speed chase with at least 28 police patrol cars, the video of which subsequently went viral, was sentenced to a month’s jail and slapped with a RM10,000 fine for reckless driving and preventing a government servant from performing their duty.
Magistrate Shahril Anuar Ahmad Mustapha meted out the sentence on B. Anbarasan, 27, after the latter pleaded guilty to the charges at the Petaling Jaya courthouse.
According to Berita Harian, Anbarasan, a lorry driver, was also ordered to serve his sentence from today, while his driving licence was suspended for five years.
He is set to serve an additional eight months in jail should he fail to pay the fine.
According to the first charge, Anbarasan was found driving the Bezza recklessly, which could cause harm to himself and other motorists at Jalan Utara, Petaling Jaya, around 1.30am on Tuesday.
The charge was framed under Section 42(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987, which is punishable under the same act.
Anbarasan also faced a charge of preventing a police officer, Mohd Faizal Sulong, from performing his duties at the same location, time and day according to Section 186 of the Penal Code, which provides a two-year jail sentence or a fine not exceeding RM10,000 or both if found guilty.
The accused who was unrepresented appealed for a minimum sentence, saying that he was the sole breadwinner for his family, which includes his one-year-old toddler.
Deputy public prosecutor Nurul Sofea Jaysal, however, requested the court to impose a fair and proportionate punishment taking into account the public interest, in addition to the fact that the accused had obstructed the duty of a government servant and driven a car at high speed while endangering the public.
In a separate charge at the Petaling Jaya sessions court, Anbarasan and his wife M. Rishlani, 21, pleaded not guilty in the presence of judge Faiz Dziyauddin to a charge of possessing dangerous weapons.
Both were allegedly found in possession of a knife without lawful permission at the premises of the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters, at the same time and day.
The offence is charged in accordance with Section 6(1) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958 and read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code.
The judge allowed the couple bail of RM5,000 each with additional conditions as suggested by the prosecution, which is to report to the nearest police station every month until the case is resolved.
Judge Faiz then set January 16 for mention.
On Tuesday, the couple were arrested following a 50-km high-speed chase that ended in Cyberjaya, after they evaded a police check in Jalan Utara, Petaling Jaya yesterday.
Petaling Jaya district police chief Mohd Fakhrudin Abdul Hamid had said the duo were arrested after police finally stopped the Bezza the man was driving at the Taman Tasik Cyberjaya roundabout in Sepang, following a chase by 28 police vehicles.
During the 1.42am incident, a police officer was injured when the Bezza rammed his motorcycle as he tried to stop the car at Jalan PJS 6/1 Sg Way, Petaling Jaya.
The male driver possessed 11 prior records, six of them criminal offences, four drug offences and one relating to an armed robbery, while the woman had no prior record. – December 8, 2023