Zaid: Swift with Muhyiddin, slow with assault cases

Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has questioned the absence of swiftness with regard to the assault cases involving a deaf e-hailing driver Ong Ing Keong and a road construction worker Alias Awang.

He pointed out that the police were able to record statements from 66 witnesses and charge Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin under the Sedition Act within days.

“Muhiyuddin did not assault anyone, but they said his words hurt them,” he posted on X.

Zaid also queried the silence of Attorney-General Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh and compared him to his predecessors.

“Why is our attorney-general so sheepishly quiet?

“When Abu Talib Othman and Abdul Gani Patail were AG, they regularly faced the press and dealt with queries from the public. These are matters of public interest that should be dealt with appropriately.

“Without a proper law minister, the attorney-general must provide assurances about police impartiality and commitment to acting swiftly to protect the rakyat,” he added.

Yesterday, Ong and Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) demanded that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim establish a commission of inquiry into the assault which took place outside a hotel in Kuala Lumpur on May 28.

The e-hailing driver was punched by a police personnel who was escorting Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and there is a dashcam recording of the incident.

The Malaysian Deaf Advocacy and Wellbeing Organisation (Dawn) also claimed that Ong had inked a total of four police reports but had only contributed to one while the other three were prepared for him.

On June 5, Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain said the investigation papers had been submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

Malaysiakini yesterday reported that Awang claimed a member of the Pahang royalty and a group of men had assaulted him in Kuantan. He had been allegedly stabbed in the thigh and shot at during the incident.

Kuantan district police chief Wan Mohd Zahari Wan Busu told Malaysiakini that three men, including an individual believed to be the main suspect, were arrested and remanded for seven days to facilitate investigations before being released on police bail.

Asked if a royalty was involved, he declined to comment, prompting Zaid to state that the police should be candid with the reporters and reveal all information regarding the case.

“When police bail was granted, the rakyat want to know if it is usual to grant bail for a non-bailable offence (when firearms are allegedly involved),” he added.

The former minister also noted that following the cases of Ong and Alias, both Tunku Ismail and Pahang crown prince Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah called for justice to be served.

Swift only when royalty is hurt

Zaid also urged the prime minister to discuss with the police on how to handle such cases.

“I sensed the reaction was swift and resolute only when the rakyat’s utterances hurt the royalty.

“In that case, the least we could expect from the police and the AG is similar urgency when the rakyat reported assaults that caused bodily harm,” he said.

On Aug 27, Muhyiddin claimed trial to a charge under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act over a speech, in which he spoke about the appointment of the prime minister after the last general election which was deemed to have insulted the previous Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

At the time, the police chief dismissed claims that the authorities had rushed the case, saying that investigations were completed within the standard time frame.

Razarudin said investigations are generally completed within seven days, while decisions to prosecute are made by the AGC.

“Within that seven-day time frame, the investigation could be completed in four days instead. The AGC might then need one or two days, or even just 24 hours, to record statements and issue instructions for prosecution.

“If we are slow, people would say we are inefficient. When we are quick, we are accused of rushing,” he added.

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