Suhakam criticises Attorney General’s ‘deafening silence’ on attack on deaf driver

The government's Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) has called on Attorney-General Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh to break his silence on the case of a deaf e-hailing driver who was attacked four months ago by a man believed to be a policeman accompanying Johor's royal entourage. A day earlier, lawyers criticised Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's attempt to justify the long delay in charging the suspect.

The commission expressed its “deep dismay at the deafening silence” of the Attorney-General in the case of Ong Ing Keong, who was attacked outside a hotel on 28 May.

“If the Attorney General takes the position that he does not intend to prosecute the police officer concerned, he must make this known to the public and clearly and unambiguously explain his decision not to prosecute.

“The alleged incident took place in May 2024, almost four months ago. But unfortunately, no criminal action has been initiated against the police officer in question to date,” Suhakam said in a statement.

“The Honourable Attorney General needs no reminder that justice delayed is justice denied to Ong, the alleged victim. Under Article 8 of the Federal Constitution, all persons are equal before the law and are entitled to the equal protection of the law – and that includes Ong,” Suhakam said, adding that it was a clear case of assault under the Penal Code.

Yesterday, Anwar appeared to defend the delay in bringing charges against Ong's attackers, which drew immediate criticism from human rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL).

LFL said it was reckless of Anwar to say that the investigation into the attack on Ong was “taking time” and “was not yet complete,” adding that it was a clear case with clear evidence.

“This is not a complicated murder case, nor is it a mega financial scandal that takes so much time. Anwar seems to have no answers, only excuses,” said Zaid Malek, who is also Ong's lawyer.

Dashcam footage of the incident showed Ong waiting for his passengers outside the St. Regis Hotel when a man shouted at him to move his car to make way for the entourage of Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, better known as TMJ.

Ong, who is deaf, then rolled down his car window to speak to someone who looked like a police officer before the man suddenly attacked him with a hard punch to the face.

Ong was later treated at Kuala Lumpur Hospital for a soft tissue injury.

Public outrage grew when it was revealed that a “palace representative” had asked Ong to withdraw his complaint filed with the Brickfields police station.

Ong rejected the claim by the city's police chief, Rusdi Mohd Isa, that he withdrew his complaint because it was a “misunderstanding”.

Instead, Ong said an official gave him the choice of either accepting a sum of money from a palace representative or having his phone confiscated if the case went to court.

Suhakam said Ong's plight was part of a “persistent neglect of critical human rights issues affecting vulnerable communities.”

“Because this is a case of public interest involving a person with a disability and a member of a vulnerable community, the Attorney General, as the guardian of the public conscience, has a constitutional and moral duty to address the issue publicly.

“Silence is not an option for the AG,” the Commission said.