Would You Feel Safe If RM1,000 Is All It Costs To Assault You?

When justice comes with a price tag: RM1,000 fine sparks national soul-searching over police accountability.

Imagine being deaf, doing your job as an e-hailing driver, and getting assaulted by someone sworn to protect you.

Now imagine watching your attacker walk free with a mere RM1,000 fine – less than the cost of a new smartphone.

This isn’t a hypothetical scenario. This is justice in Malaysia, 2024.

The public fury over police officer Muhammad Taufik Ismail’s lenient sentence for assaulting deaf driver Ong Ing Keong has laid bare an uncomfortable truth: our justice system appears to have put a price tag on violence, and it’s disturbingly affordable.

Ong’s lawyer, Zaid Malek, echoes his client’s disappointment with the sentence imposed on the accused, a VIP escort.

“The fine appears inadequate as the perpetrator is a police officer responsible for protecting the public and not causing harm.

“The attack was carried out without provocation, and the victim is a person with disabilities who was merely carrying out his duties as an e-hailing driver,” he said in a statement.

Public Questions ‘Affordable’ Rate of Justice

The math is simple and chilling: RM1,000 to assault a disabled person, that’s less than many Malaysians spend on monthly groceries.

It was less than a traffic fine for some violations, less than the daily rate at the hotel where the assault took place.

While the Magistrate’s Court has precedents of imposing similar RM1,000 fines in assault cases, people argue that cases involving law enforcement officers warrant careful consideration of aggravating factors.

If a police officer can get away with paying just RM1,000 for assaulting a disabled person, what’s stopping others, asked social media users.

Some said the lenient sentence tells vulnerable communities their safety is worth less than a budget phone.

Meanwhile, Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng has questioned the police force’s apparent inaction against their own officer despite the conviction.

Beyond the Fine: A Question of Public Trust

The court operates within established sentencing guidelines, and we respect that.

But the case has forced Malaysians to confront uncomfortable questions: Would you feel safe knowing that assaulting you might cost less than a minor traffic offence?

Would you trust a system where those meant to protect you can harm you for the price of a cheap vacation?

The question isn’t just about one fine anymore.

It’s about what kind of society we want to live in and whether we’re comfortable knowing that RM1,000 is all that stands between us and assault by those meant to protect us.

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