KUALA LUMPUR — A police escort of a VVIP figure has been fined RM1,000 by the magistrate’s court here after he pleaded guilty to assaulting a disabled e-hailing driver.
Lance Corporal Muhammad Taufik Ismail, was charged at the magistrate’s court here over the incident on May 28, outside the lobby of the St Regis Hotel in Brickfields.
The 32-year-old is accused of voluntarily causing hurt to e-hailing driver Ong Ing Keong, 47.
Media reported the RM1,000 fine imposed on Taufik after he pleaded guilty to the charge under Section 323 of the Penal Code before magistrate Farah Nabihah Muhamad Dan.
The section provides for up to a year in prison, a maximum RM2,000 fine, or both, upon conviction.
The case attracted wide attention with repeated calls for swift action from civil society who questioned the delay in charging the police escort.
This was more so after it was revealed by Ong and non-governmental organisation Deaf Advocacy and Wellbeing National Organisation (Dawn) that he had allegedly been pressured and offered money to withdraw his police report on the assault.
Dashcam video of the incident showed Ong had been waiting for passengers to enter his car while the VVIP’s security team shouted orders for vehicles to clear the area. Taufik is recorded sticking his hand into Ong’s car through the open window on the driver’s side and giving the e-hailing driver a sucker-punch.
Taufik had been working as part of the security detail for Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, who called for a thorough probe, stressing that he did not condone any illegal action or intimidation. – November 4, 2024