Deaf driver assault: Prosecution against cop 'prudent measure' - ex-judge

Former Court of Appeal judge Hamid Sultan Abu Backer said it would be a "prudent measure" for the perpetrator who assaulted deaf e-hailing driver Ong Ing Keong to be prosecuted for the May incident.

This comes after the Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said the attacker - a police escort personnel - had faced disciplinary action within the force.

While the victim has no constitutional right to demand his attacker be prosecuted, Hamid (above), in a report by online news portal Scoop, said: "The public and relevant bodies responsible for upholding the rule of law fairly and justly are entitled to raise the issue repeatedly so a person said to have committed a crime is eventually charged - even if it takes decades.

"There is no limitation period for crime, although some countries have them. The right to prosecute lies with the Attorney-General’s Chambers."

Two days ago, Ong held a press conference where he revealed a dash-cam clip of the May incident, which showed the bodyguard punching him just as his passengers entered his car.

His lawyer N Surendran expressed frustration over the authorities’ inaction, saying it has been almost two and half months since the incident.

Mere disciplinary action

Following this, Razarudin told Berita Harian that the police escort of Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim had faced disciplinary action.

On top of that, he said the officer was also investigated under the Penal Code.

Surendran later responded, saying that a criminal charge, rather than a mere disciplinary action, should be instituted against the attacker.

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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