COMMUNICATIONS Minister Fahmi Fadzil refrained from addressing questions regarding the assault on a deaf e-hailing driver, instead urging reporters to direct their enquiries to the appropriate enforcement agency.
When asked whether the Cabinet had discussed the incident and the memorandum calling for a commission of inquiry into the matter, Fahmi responded, “Enforcement agencies. You can refer (merujuk) to the relevant agency.”
Last week, Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) submitted a memorandum and a dashcam recording of the assault to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). Today, LFL advisor N. Surendran questioned whether the government was taking the issue seriously, noting that more than 100 days had passed since Ong Ing Keong was punched by a police escort of Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.
“What possible justification is there for the failure to bring charges against the culprit or anyone else who abetted or attempted to cover up the matter?” Surendran asked, as reported by Malaysiakini. He also criticised the “pin-drop” silence from the PMO regarding the five demands outlined in the memorandum.
Fahmi was also asked to comment on the ongoing controversy involving HotFM radio. “This can be referred to Media Prima. It is not under my agency,” he replied, referencing the media conglomerate that owns the popular Malay-language station.
The controversy followed former Umno leader Khairy Jamaluddin’s remarks on a HotFM radio show, where he seemingly mimicked Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s speech style, saying, “Saudara-saudara, hari ini saya menang, besok kita makan ramai-ramai (Ladies and gentlemen, if I win today, tomorrow we will have a feast),” in a light-hearted tone while discussing the upcoming Berita Harian Anugerah Bintang Popular award. – September 11, 2024.
