Written by NST, Mkini
A woman recounted an unsettling incident on platform X (formerly known as Twitter) which occurred in a parking area in front of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam.
She discovered a nail attached to the bottom of her front bumper, believed to have been affixed by suspicious individuals.
"There were some suspicious individuals loitering at the car park near Plaza Masalam. They even attached a nail to my car," explained the anonymous woman in her message to @adlinakml.
@adlinakml then posted a warning: "Girls who plan to go to Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, please beware! There are many strange people nowadays. Do not go alone!"
In the post, the woman claimed that two men harassed her while she was in her car, refused to leave, and allegedly hid behind a tree in front of her car to avoid being seen.
"Earlier, two guys disturbed my car while we were hanging out. They would not leave, and when we did not get into our car, they hid in front of it, so we could not see them.
"When we tried to get into our car, they stood up from their hiding spot and walked towards us.
"However, another car entered the parking area, and they just stood behind my car. Then, I noticed there were nails where they had hidden," the anonymous woman told Adlina.
Some comments suggest that the men affixing the nail to her bumper might be attempting robbery or using the nails as markers for the targeted cars.
@FushengK expressed concern, stating, "This seems like a human trafficking operation. If their intention was to rob you, they would do it directly, not wait for you to enter your car. The scammer industry appears to be getting desperate now."
@HakimKelasi suggested, "This is done to make the fabric snag; later, they might approach, pretending to be alert about the stuck cloth. When you open the window or door, they seize the opportunity to take whatever they can."
@OohSyid stated, "By placing a nail, our clothes may get caught, and when we inspect it, it distracts us. During that time, they could attack or attempt robbery. Be cautious. If there is anything unusual with our car, enter it first, lock it, and make sure the surroundings are secure."
Meanwhile, other users flooded her comments, offering advice to be cautious in the future and suggesting appropriate actions against wrongdoers.
@aryyysh4 expressed: "I hope girls can be extra vigilant from now on, especially when there are only girls among you or when alone. Maybe place a nail to mark the car driven by a woman. Stay safe, everyone!"
@fqry18_ shared a similar experience, stating, "My friend faced a similar situation, and it was quite unusual. She promptly went to the nearest police station. Within 5 minutes, the patrol arrived, and the culprits fled. Do not worry; the police would not be mad at you. Capture as many pictures as possible; they'll serve as evidence when the police inquire." - NST
Authorities had issued an arrest warrant for the 45-year-old man when he did not turn up at the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate's Court on Nov 21 last year, however, he was still in the wind.
He is suspected of being involved in the crime captured on video at a car park at Taman Desa, Selangor, on the morning of July 31 the same year.
The victims, M Grace Arun Mathy and her husband K Pathamanathan, told Malaysiakini that they were highlighting the matter now as they feared for their safety as well as the public’s with the suspect still on the loose.
Grace explained that on the day the suspect was supposed to be charged, the couple was at the court but the man was a no-show.
The 49-year-old said the prosecution then applied for the Magistrate's Court to grant a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA).
Unlike a full acquittal, a DNAA still opens the way for the suspect to be charged in court later if he is apprehended.
"My husband suffered injuries to his left face as a result of the attack and had to undergo a facial procedure.
"However, he has been suffering complications due to the surgery, and last month underwent a CT scan," she said, adding that they are still waiting for the scan results.
"We were told there was a warrant of arrest against him but we were later informed he could not be located and is out of the country, thus the DNAA," she said.
Livelihood also affected
Since then the couple said they’ve gone back and forth with the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) for updates on the case.
"We are still waiting for an (AGC) update, this case deserves a sense of urgency."
Grace added that the situation is compounded by their unstable financial situation, which made it difficult for the couple to engage a lawyer.
Before the attack, she said they were in the process of setting up their consultancy, however, after her husband's injury, their business was unable to proceed.
"We were forced to rely on the Putrajaya Legal Bureau's advice, which we only paid RM10 for," Grace said.
Checks by Malaysiakini on the judiciary's online cause list showed that the suspect's case was listed before the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate's Court on Nov 21 last year.
A government source confirmed that the suspect did not attend court proceedings that day, resulting in an arrest order.
Malaysiakini is withholding the identity of the suspect as the person has not been formally charged in the criminal court.
The portal is also attempting to contact the AGC for a response on the matter.
Video of attack
In early August last year, the one-minute and 26-second video clip of the incident went viral on X.
The media reported the police confirming that a 45-year-old male suspect was detained on the day of the incident and that an investigation was conducted for voluntarily causing hurt using a weapon.
Reports said the clip showed a man clad in shorts and armed with a metal bar, approaching another man who is seen picking up a traffic cone and shoving it in the former’s direction to seemingly protect himself against the assailant.
The man in shorts continued approaching the other man, who was seen backing away.
The former then swung the metal bar, hitting the victim until the latter fell.
The two could be heard exchanging profanities before the attacker tells the person holding the camera to watch their words and then hits her with the bar, causing her to drop the recording device on the ground. - MKINI
Written by NST, MKINI
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