Summary

  • Balloon vendor Za'imuddin Azlan says a criminal past does not justify abuse against him.

  • However, neither he nor his lawyer are confirming a report claiming he has 13 criminal priors.

Balloon vendor Za'imuddin Azlan has questioned whether he should be defined by his past.

While refusing to confirm a report citing sources that he has 13 past criminal offences on record, he asked whether this meant he could be ill-treated and denied the opportunity to make an honest living.

"On March 28 I was selling balloons, not drugs. If I was a former criminal, then I can be beaten, kicked, pummelled, strangled, and treated cruelly?

"If I have past cases, is that a licence for anyone to beat me? If I am poor, in hardship, and have past records, does that mean Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) can treat me like trash?

"If I have past records does that mean there is no avenue for me to fight those who do me wrong?” he said while crying at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.

Alleged narcotics convictions

Yesterday, Bernama published a report citing sources that Za'imuddin (above) - better known as “Abang Belon” - had 13 criminal records most of which involved drugs, six of which he had been convicted for.

Lawyer Rafique Rashid Ali, who is representing the trader, said they would not be commenting on the alleged criminal past until authorities officially confirm the matter.

He repeated his client's assertions that even if Za'imuddin had a criminal past, it did not justify the way the trader was treated.

On March 28, Za'imuddin was reportedly roughly handled by DBKL officers.

DBKL claimed Za'imuddin did not have a licence to conduct his business in the capital and was obstructing traffic.

The city hall said he refused to leave when told and pushed one of its enforcement officers to the ground, forcing them to restrain him.

The trader denied that he was evicted from the spot multiple times or that he acted aggressively.

Three DBKL enforcers have been put on leave and police are investigating the case.

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'Abang Belon has 13 criminal records, mostly related to narcotics'

'Abang Belon has 13 criminal records, mostly related to narcotics'

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