Road Bullies. How Does One Handle These Mental Cases?
Read this Malay Mail report by NAJIAH NAJIB.
HE was beaten up in broad daylight at a public area. Many stopped to watch but no one bothered to help. The story graphic designer Tan Say Kong, 26, has to tell is not new, but one that still shocks. He had dropped his girlfriend off along Jalan Tanjung Bandar Utama on the afternoon of June 25, before making his way to a gym. As Tan neared a traffic-light, traffic slowed down. Suddenly, a car overtook Tan’s Proton Saga and the two cars hit. The other car, a blue Proton Waja, was dented.
At the traffic lights, Tan levelled up with the other car and rolled down his window. "There were two men inside the other car; the driver who seemed to be in his late 20s and the other no more than 24 years of age. "Through his car window, the driver yelled at me in Cantonese, saying I should pay for his car’s damage. I told him to settle the matter at the nearest police station, but the man just kept on yelling. "When the light turned green, I turned left. The Waja followed and overtook me again at the next traffic lights. The light was red and there were other cars lined up behind me. I was stuck," said Tan.
He claimed the driver then stepped out with a metre-long iron rod and started whacking his (Tan) passenger door and window. Tan said he immediately got out from the car, and that was when the beating started. "With the iron rod, the man hit my left shin about three or four times. When I stumbled to the ground, he kicked my face twice. "I cried out for help. Many stopped their cars to watch, but not one came to my aid. They just sat in their cars and stared," said a frustrated Tan. He said the second man only came out from the Waja and told his friend to leave after 10 minutes.
Tan said he was in pain as he made his way to the Damansara police station and lodged a report, before seeking medical treatment at the University Malaya Medical Centre. He suffered swelling on his left shin and bruises on the face. He described the alleged assailant as slim, about 175cm tall, with black spiky hair, tanned skin and pimples on his face. Tan said he was informed by police later that the car was registered to a woman, whose address in Selayang, a condominium unit, had been vacant for the past six years.
He sought the help of MCA Public Services and Complaint Department on June 26. Department head Datuk Michael Chong said Malaysians should ditch the ‘don’t care’ attitude when they see a person in need as this was not the first case. "What if it was your loved one in that situation? If you’re not there, surely you would want others to help, right?" he said. When contacted, Petaling Jaya police said they were tracking down the car owner and that investigations were under way. (Malay Mail)
**** I can understand the frustration of the victim as well as the anguish of Datuk Michael Chong. But frankly if I were a bystander witnessing an assault of this nature I would probably not do anything to help either. Its not because I don't want to help, but the thought of getting the daylights beaten out of me would probably hold me back. And I'm being honest about it. What's the point of trying to be heroic when I have neither the physique nor the 'ammunition' to back me up. I would however try to contact the nearest police station for assistance.
An assault by a road bully or any other similar attack is not going to stop overnight. As long as there are mentally unstable and violent people around it is going to be an ongoing occurence. To urge the public to stop these assaults on their own volition is to endanger the good samaritan and it indirectly encourages vigilantism.
Another sad thing that happens when such incidents occur is that everyone is more interested in the race of the opposing sides. In this case, most would have thought, "aah, Chinese and Chinese, no problem". Things can get dicey if they were of different races. In my mind if someone feels confident that he can handle and calm down the aggressor, by all means enter the fray and give your best. Otherwise just sit tight and call the cops. Also take down as much details as you can on the assailant(s) and make it a point to convey this to the police.
That is the maximum I would do. If any of you have better ideas please use this opportunity to enlighten us. But please don't condemn me for my views, at least I've been upfront in expressing them.
HE was beaten up in broad daylight at a public area. Many stopped to watch but no one bothered to help. The story graphic designer Tan Say Kong, 26, has to tell is not new, but one that still shocks. He had dropped his girlfriend off along Jalan Tanjung Bandar Utama on the afternoon of June 25, before making his way to a gym. As Tan neared a traffic-light, traffic slowed down. Suddenly, a car overtook Tan’s Proton Saga and the two cars hit. The other car, a blue Proton Waja, was dented.
At the traffic lights, Tan levelled up with the other car and rolled down his window. "There were two men inside the other car; the driver who seemed to be in his late 20s and the other no more than 24 years of age. "Through his car window, the driver yelled at me in Cantonese, saying I should pay for his car’s damage. I told him to settle the matter at the nearest police station, but the man just kept on yelling. "When the light turned green, I turned left. The Waja followed and overtook me again at the next traffic lights. The light was red and there were other cars lined up behind me. I was stuck," said Tan.
He claimed the driver then stepped out with a metre-long iron rod and started whacking his (Tan) passenger door and window. Tan said he immediately got out from the car, and that was when the beating started. "With the iron rod, the man hit my left shin about three or four times. When I stumbled to the ground, he kicked my face twice. "I cried out for help. Many stopped their cars to watch, but not one came to my aid. They just sat in their cars and stared," said a frustrated Tan. He said the second man only came out from the Waja and told his friend to leave after 10 minutes.
Tan said he was in pain as he made his way to the Damansara police station and lodged a report, before seeking medical treatment at the University Malaya Medical Centre. He suffered swelling on his left shin and bruises on the face. He described the alleged assailant as slim, about 175cm tall, with black spiky hair, tanned skin and pimples on his face. Tan said he was informed by police later that the car was registered to a woman, whose address in Selayang, a condominium unit, had been vacant for the past six years.
He sought the help of MCA Public Services and Complaint Department on June 26. Department head Datuk Michael Chong said Malaysians should ditch the ‘don’t care’ attitude when they see a person in need as this was not the first case. "What if it was your loved one in that situation? If you’re not there, surely you would want others to help, right?" he said. When contacted, Petaling Jaya police said they were tracking down the car owner and that investigations were under way. (Malay Mail)
**** I can understand the frustration of the victim as well as the anguish of Datuk Michael Chong. But frankly if I were a bystander witnessing an assault of this nature I would probably not do anything to help either. Its not because I don't want to help, but the thought of getting the daylights beaten out of me would probably hold me back. And I'm being honest about it. What's the point of trying to be heroic when I have neither the physique nor the 'ammunition' to back me up. I would however try to contact the nearest police station for assistance.
An assault by a road bully or any other similar attack is not going to stop overnight. As long as there are mentally unstable and violent people around it is going to be an ongoing occurence. To urge the public to stop these assaults on their own volition is to endanger the good samaritan and it indirectly encourages vigilantism.
Another sad thing that happens when such incidents occur is that everyone is more interested in the race of the opposing sides. In this case, most would have thought, "aah, Chinese and Chinese, no problem". Things can get dicey if they were of different races. In my mind if someone feels confident that he can handle and calm down the aggressor, by all means enter the fray and give your best. Otherwise just sit tight and call the cops. Also take down as much details as you can on the assailant(s) and make it a point to convey this to the police.
That is the maximum I would do. If any of you have better ideas please use this opportunity to enlighten us. But please don't condemn me for my views, at least I've been upfront in expressing them.
posted by The Malaysian. at 7/05/2006 12:05:00 PM
2 Comments:
With mobile phone ( which is also camera)take snapshot then send it to yr blog or the police's so that they can be more than just "squat"gate , we can have "RoadBully"gate too
Yes, I meet this bully last Saturday and have this scene recorded on my mobile. As soon as he realised that I recorded it he immediately went back to his van and goes off. Is there any police complaint website that I can post my videoclip there to let the police or public aware that this guy is dangerous?
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