E-hailing driver assault: LFL wants criminal charge against perpetrator

A criminal charge, rather than a mere disciplinary action, should be instituted against a police escort personnel who allegedly assaulted deaf e-hailing driver Ong Ing Keong last May, said Lawyers for Liberty.

According to the human rights group's adviser N Surendran, this is because the incident caused trauma to the victim and is of public interest.

"This case does not encompass only a police disciplinary matter. It involves an assault and battery captured clearly on video.

"The victim had suffered pain, injury and emotional trauma," Surendran (above, second from left), who is also Ong's lawyer, said in a statement today.

He was responding to Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain's remark yesterday that the suspect, a police escort of Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, has faced disciplinary action within the force.

On top of that, Razarudin also told Berita Harian that the officer was investigated under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt.

Elaborating, Surendran said the assault case is of public interest, as it involves an unprovoked assault by a member of the police force upon a disabled person engaged in his daily occupation.

"We further note that the IGP has confirmed that the investigation papers were re-submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) last month.

"We urge the AG, as well as the police, to ensure that the appropriate criminal charges be promptly instituted against the perpetrator.

"The video evidence is available, and the suspect’s identity is known to the police; there is no reason for any further delay in delivering justice for Ong," the lawyer added.

The assault

Yesterday, Ong teared up while revealing the dash-cam recording of the incident at a press conference.

Through his sign language interpreter, Lucy Lim, he expressed that he was still depressed over the incident.

At the press conference, Surendran also urged the government to review the guidelines for escorting VIPs following Ong's case.

It was previously reported that the police had warned Ong not to share a video of the assault, which the latter complied with.

In the May 28 incident, Ong lodged a police report, alleging he was assaulted by one of Tunku Ismail's traffic escorts while waiting for a customer at the St Regis Hotel lobby in KL Sentral.

Apart from the assault, there were some alleged irregularities in how the police handled Ong’s report. He was allegedly coerced to settle the matter and offered RM800 to retract the report.

Investigation papers produced by the police, which concerned the assault and the irregularities, were sent to the AGC on June 4.

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