A police report has been lodged by a passenger, who claimed that the driver of the bus he was travelling in punched him in the face for reporting him for falling asleep behind the wheel.
Thomas Fann, 56, was on an express bus, travelling from Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) in Kuala Lumpur to Johor Bahru when the bus driver stopped in the middle of the road near the Seremban bus terminal.
"The bus earlier made a stopover at Seremban to pick up passengers, and continued southwards towards the Seremban toll plaza when I realised we were not moving.
"Just a few minutes prior to this, we were stuck in a traffic jam. But after that when I looked out of the window, I noticed cars were driving past and horning at us.
"I went to the front of the bus to check on what happened. I saw the driver slumped over the steering wheel," Fann said when contacted by Malaysiakini.
He said he was immediately not certain if the driver was dead or alive.
Eventually, Fann was able to wake the driver up. After doing so, Fann returned to his seat, where he proceeded to call the bus company the driver was from to make a complaint.
He also asked for another bus or bus driver to be sent.
About five minutes later, the bus stopped again, this time just before the Seremban toll.
Fann claimed the driver walked towards him, grabbed his right arm and shouted at him.
Punched in the face
"He seemed upset over my call to the bus company, and told me he was only earning a living and that my action could cause him his job.
"I told him, 'Irregardless, you are endangering your passengers'. Then, he punched me in the face," he claimed.
Other passengers who witnessed the attack immediately held the driver back.
After that, the bus driver proceeded with the journey. But at Ayer Keroh, where he stopped the vehicle for the third time to let passengers use the toilets, Fann left the bus to find other means of getting himself back to Johor Bahru.
"I decided my life and the lives of the other passengers were in danger, so I told them I was getting off. After I got about four witnesses who would vouch for me, I got off.
"Luckily, I found a bus that had some empty seats, paid for a new ticket, and reached home safely," he explained.
Shortly after landing in the state capital, Fann made a police report with the Johor Bahru Sentral police station, and was asked to go for a check-up at the General Hospital.
He was also asked to file a second report with the IPD in Seremban, where the scuffle took place, and he met with a police inspector there today morning.
When contacted earlier today, Fann said he was leaving the Seremban Hospital. He said the swelling on his eye had subsided, but he still felt a little numb.
"I will be taking civil action, apart from pursuing criminal action against both the driver and the bus company.
"The purpose of this is to ensure irresponsible bus drivers who are sleepy and tired do not drive express buses. Companies should conduct background checks on drivers, including their health and possible ties with criminal activities as well," Fann said.
A spokesperson for the Supernice bus company confirmed that the driver in question has been suspended from work. -Mkini
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