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Public uproar over cop who 'kicked' motorcycli​st





Public uproar over cop who 'kicked' motorcyclist


2:22PM Mar 5, 2012


In less than two days, more than 10,000 netizens have shared photographs of a police personnel who had allegedly kicked a motorcyclist at a roadblock, causing severe injuries to the 14-year-old.

The photographs showing the police corporal, wearing a fluorescent green reflective vest and sunglasses, have sparked a public outcry in cyberspace, inviting thousands of comments condemning the alleged violence.

The incident last Saturday in Taman Tangkak Jaya, Ledang, Johor, was reported in today’s Chinese dailies, with some placing the story on their front pages.

According to Kwong Wah Jit Poh, motorcyclist Lim Hup Hwang was riding without a helmet about 5.50pm when he reached the roadblock.



Attempting to stop Lim, the policeman kicked the motorcycle, causing the teenager to fall and hit the road divider.

Lim was taken to the Tangkak Hospital and later transferred to a private hospital in Malacca due to the severe injuries on his head, right ear, neck, right leg and other parts of the body.

“This is the policeman! Just because my brother did not wear a helmet, he kicked the motorcycle. Why he did this to my 14-year-old brother when he can just issue a summon?” said Lim’s elder sister in a Facebook posting, to which the cop's photograph was attached.

“My brother went into coma with blood clots in his neck, neck sprain, head and ear bleeding. He received stitches for the injuries all over his body!”

The posting was shared by 7,881 Facebook users, 'liked' by 9,994 and received 1,177 comments as at 1pm today.

Other photographs showing Lim lying in hospital wearing a cervical collar with bruises on his face also went viral on the social media website.

“This policeman argued that my brother intended to hit him with the motorcycle hence the kick. Fortunately, three good Samaritans are our eyewitnesses (to rebut the policeman). Thank you so much,” said the sister in the same posting, urging other users to share the photograph.
 
Yesterday, Lim’s father told Sin Chew Daily that his son was still under observation in the Intensive Care Unit and that the medical report would only be available today.

The daily quoted an eyewitness as claiming that Lim’s motorcycle was kicked because he did not immediately stop after being instructed by the police to do so.

The witness then saw a People’s Volunteer Corps member riding a motorcycle. He ran into Lim who was lying on the ground and left the scene hastily.

The witness claimed that the  police personnel stood and watched the whole incident without offering any help to Lim.

A heated argument broke out when bystanders scolded the cop, who argued that Lim had tried to hit him, added the eyewitness.

Lim was sent to hospital in an ambulance which was called by some members of the public.

Lim’s father has lodged a police report and is preparing to take legal action against the police personnel concerned, with the help of a local MCA Youth leader.

Ledang OCPD Harun Idris has called on the people to stay calm but has refused to comment on the incident. He said the police would carry out an investigation soon.

In an immediate response, Johor DAP secretary Tan Chen Choon urged the police to probe whether the policeman had breached the standard operating procedures in stopping the motorcyclist.

“We know that the people’s trust in the police is low. Hence, we again call on the government to establish an independent police complaints and misconduct commission to ensure such investigations are done more transparently,” Tan told Malaysiakini today