THE May 28 assault of deaf e-hailing driver Ong Ing Keong by a member of the Regent of Johor’s security detail has raised temperatures of the public to levels hotter than the current heatwave.
The anger is at the impunity in which the assault took place – in front of the 5-Star St Regis Hotel in Kuala Lumpur in broad daylight in full view of the victim’s foreign passengers.
If that was not enough, the way the police are handling the situation – as mediators and not enforcers of the law – is bringing the issue to boiling point.
Several media outlets were initially contacted by Bukit Aman to take down certain news articles and clips which may have identified who this bodyguard was protecting.
The dashcam of the victim’s car has been confiscated by police to “assist in investigations” but has since been returned with the footage of the incident wiped.
The police initially said it was a misunderstanding, raising fears that it is washing its hands off the matter.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa said the driver lodged a second report to nullify the first report of the assault.
It is now understood that the personnel met with the driver and paid a “compensation” of RM800 (negotiated from RM500).
Ong, the driver in question, had just lost his son in an accident two weeks ago. Now he has to deal with this – caught in the crosshairs of powerful people and the pressure to settle.
But this is not a banana republic, nor is it like the United States where one has the choice of withdrawing an assault case.
In Malaysia the authorities are compelled to pursue investigations of a crime. In this case, one hopes that police do not pussyfoot around because of who this bodyguard works for.
This particular personnel whom the Johor Regent, Tunku Ismail said is a member of his escort from the police, may be used to doing things a certain way in the southern state, perhaps believing the people there tolerate thuggish behaviour.
Well, newsflash, he may discover that the rest of the country have little or zero tolerance for these kinds of shenanigans.
Which is why, after four days, the issue has yet to die down with social media on fire with comments and demands for action.
Lawyers for Liberty has also come out to offer pro bono legal representation to Ong so he may get justice.
Whatever ill-conceived, self-serving or warped efforts those in authority may have had in trying to shield the Johor Royal Family from this controversy, have been futile.
In fact they are now the proverbial “deer in the headlights” as Tunku Ismail himself has come out to demand an investigation.
“I hope authorities will take action in accordance with the law and give the victim justice,” the Regent said on X.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain meanwhile took the royal cue and said investigations will be conducted comprehensively.
“The priority is to ensure that those responsible do not escape and are held accountable for their actions. Strict action will be taken without compromise against any official found guilty,” the police chief said.
The personnel in question has committed a disservice to his charge and by extension, to Sultan Ibrahim, who will be coronated as the 17th Yang Di-Pertuan Agong on July 20 with this controversy still on people’s minds.
No one is asking for the personnel to be fed to the crocodiles but a stern admonishment from the royal house and for the police to do their jobs without fear or favour are not too much to ask for.
Two central institutions – the Royal Institution and the Royal Malaysian Police – have been brought under unwanted scrutiny. How this incident is handled will have a bearing on the rakyat’s perception if this is a land of different strokes for different folks.
This means no scapegoats, no cover-ups but transparency and justice, especially for the weak and vulnerable. – June 1, 2024
Terence Fernandez is Group Editor in Chief of Big Boom Media which publishes Scoop