A disabled e-hailing driver, who was allegedly assaulted by an escort of Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, has recounted what transpired at the Brickfields police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
Speaking at a press conference at the Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) office in Petaling Jaya this evening, Ong Ing Keong, 46, also revealed that a palace representative was present at the time.
Asked how he knew that the person was from the palace, he replied through a sign language interpreter: “A police officer wrote it down for me.”
Responding to a question, Ong later told Malaysiakini that a police officer had prepared the second statement and told him to sign it.
Elaborating on the “options” given to him, Ong claimed it was either he continued with the report and the police would confiscate his phone for investigation, or he could drop the case and receive compensation.
Feeling pressured, the alleged victim said that he opted for the second choice as he was afraid that he would not be able to communicate with his friends and family if he lost his phone.
Ong claimed that the police officer also told him that if he goes to court, his mobile phone would be confiscated.
"So I was in a dilemma, I wasn't sure what to do and I didn't know why they wanted to take my handphone," he said.
Compensation negotiation
After informing of his decision, Ong claimed that the officer asked him how much he needed as compensation for his medical treatment.
The e-hailing driver, who is hearing impaired, alleged that he was first offered RM500 but since this was too little, he requested for RM1,000 and both parties compromised to RM800.
Ong also revealed a portion of his conversation with the purported palace representative as he had asked the latter the whereabouts of the perpetrator.
"I was asking, where is the person who hit me? Why isn't he at the police station?
"The representative said, ‘Oh, he's busy working’," he recalled.
Ong also claimed that police personnel closely monitored his movements at the police station and even followed him when he requested to use the washroom.
The e-hailing driver said he took out his second phone while in the washroom to message his friend, only known as “Phillip”, and his wife to seek advice.
Throughout his ordeal, Ong said he was not accompanied by a sign-language interpreter and had relied on Phillip’s help to interpret using WhatsApp.
Clearing the air on contradictory statements
LFL adviser Latheefa Koya said the main objective of the media conference was to clear any contradictory statements issued by various parties about Ong's ordeal.
She stressed that it was important for Ong to tell the story based on what he experienced in the last few days.
"There are too many contradictory statements coming out claiming that the matter is settled at one point, saying that he wants to move on.
"But you can hear directly from him today that he wants justice. He's not happy with what has happened to him," the former MACC chief commissioner added.
With the help of an interpreter, Deaf Advocacy and Wellbeing Organisation (Dawn) secretary-general Anthony Chong said this case signifies the importance of acknowledging that not all deaf people in Malaysia are proficient in either Bahasa Malaysia or English due to educational backgrounds.
“We feel the police have to protect the citizens and should be aware of the communication accessibility to persons with disability," he added.
In an earlier statement, Dawn said that Ong’s child had passed away just three weeks ago, which further made it difficult for him to cope with the situation.
LFL will be accompanying Ong to the Brickfields district police headquarters tomorrow at 11:30am to record his statement.
Also present were LFL director Zaid Malek and adviser N Surendran. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.