MALAYSIA: A 19-year-old man is under arrest to assist the police in the investigation of an accident involving five vehicles that killed five people at Kilometre 27, Jalan Renggam-Simpang Renggam, Kluang, Johor.
Kluang district police chief ACP Bahrin Mohd Noh said the young man was believed to be driving a luxury car (a MercedesMercedes) at high speed and recklessly, while another car (a BMW) was driven by a 22-year-old local man, who is also his elder brother.
The accident occurred when the 22-year-old brother lost control at the scene before entering the opposite lane and hitting four other cars.
The accident claimed the life of the BMW driver, the elder brother, after his vehicle plunged into a ravine, along with four others: a 36‑year‑old man, his 33‑year‑old wife, a 73‑year‑old woman, and a 10‑year‑old girl.
“The driver and passenger died at the scene due to severe head and body injuries. Meanwhile, the driver of the 22-year-old driver died on the way to the hospital,” the police said in a statement.
Urine test results found the 19-year-old man to be negative for drugs.
The accident has garnered much attention online and is turning into a war of words between netizens.
A famous activist in Malaysia, Siti Kasim, also expressed her concerns that a race battle is shaping up because of such accidents.
Responding to a post on the accident on X, she said:
“Oh spare us the fake outrage wrapped in racial poison. A reckless driver kills a family — that is a crime, not a Chinese conspiracy, not a Malay tragedy, not your excuse to stir hatred. The moment you drag race into it, you expose exactly what you are.”
The user Bitcoin Malaya had said that he hoped the Minister of Transport, Anthony Loke, was listening, perhaps meaning ‘paying attention’ that “2 Malaysian Chinese brothers raced in high speed recklessly with their luxury vehicles in Kluang and killed an entire family of 4, including a 10-year-old child.
He said that many people are angry and are calling for the death penalty, “but do you know what is the maximum penalty for him (the driver) under our Road Transport Act 1987?”
He listed the following: Maximum 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of RM20,000.
He also said that if this Chinese guy is wealthy, he will hire great lawyers.
“We must speak up together for the Malay family to uphold justice. Anthony Loke, I hope you are listening.”
Siti Kasim did not mince her words, saying that blaming Anthony Loke as if he personally sits in court deciding sentences just shows how little understanding the post has of how the system works.
On the point raised on the ‘wealth’ of the driver, Siti Kasim, a lawyer by profession, retorted by saying. “So now having legal representation is a Chinese privilege? Or are you just upset that due process exists?”
She also disagreed that everyone should speak up because the victims are Malays; instead, all Malaysians must speak up for justice for all victims.
“And “we must voice up together for the Malay family”? No. We speak up for justice for the victims, full stop. Not Malay justice. Not Chinese justice. Just justice. Because if tomorrow the driver were Malay, Indian, or Martian — the issue would still be the same.”
That is, justice must be for all and should not be portrayed as a race thing.
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