Source: http://malaysiakini.com/news/150461 ( By Regina Lee, 10/12/2010)
A cab driver who was hit in his leg by a stray bullet fired by a policeman is seeking compensation for the hardship he has suffered during his two-month recuperation period. Taxi driver Yeow Leong Kang, 41, said the incident occurred on Sept 23, while he was resting inside his vehicle on Jalan Pudu. Just seconds after dozing off, he was awakened by a loud 'pop' sound, just like a firecracker. Yeow felt cold and numb immediately after, and only realised that he had been shot when his legs oozed blood. The slug had pierced through the door of the driver's side, went through his right leg and grazed his left foot.
In his police report, Yeow said a policeman approached him immediately after, telling him not to move and that an ambulance was on the way. At the hospital later, another policeman approached Yeow and confessed that he was the shooter and apologised profusely. The policeman then explained to Yeow that they were in pursuit of another vehicle and that it was a stray bullet that had hit him. Yeow was discharged two days later but remained bedridden at his flat in Cheras. Over the next two weeks, the policeman who shot him delivered lunch to his flat.
“But I couldn't work for two months. I could hardly walk. It took me 10 minutes just to walk from the bedroom to the toilet in my flat,” Yeow told reporters after lodging his police report today. 'They have to compensate me'
Accompanied by three Pakatan Rakyat MPs, Yeow said he could only lodge the police report this morning - more than two months after the incident - because he could only start walking properly last Friday, when he resumed working. “I also want some kind of compensation. I could not work for two months and yet I still had to pay the rent for my taxi,” he said. Both Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun and Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng also urged for the government to compensate Yeow for his loss of earnings, as well as award some exemplary damages. “This is to teach the police that they cannot be trigger happy. The Standard Operating Procedure and the Inspector-General's Standing Order (IGSO) on police shooting have to be declassified,” said Lim.
Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar also reiterated her call for the establishment of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC). “It's not that we want to belittle the police. We just want to help the force improve,” she said.
MP: Good thing he's alive
Lim added: “It's a good thing that Yeow is still alive. If not, the police would have accused him of being a rapist or a robber.”
The police have been under intense scrutiny of late over alleged trigger-happy tendencies, such as in the cases of Aminulrasyid Amzah and noodle seller Ho Chei Hang. Star had reported in September that Dang Wangi police chief ACP Zulkarnain Abdul Rahman had claimed that Yeow was shot by "an unknown motorcyclist".
When contacted today, Zulkarnain declined comment on the latest development, saying he had not received any report on the matter.
Police to probe shooting of cab driver
Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story (13/12/2010)
Taxi driver Yeow Leong Kang, 42, who was hit in his legs by a stray bullet in Jalan Pudu, said the incident occurred on Sept 23 while he was resting in his vehicle. Last Friday, Yeow lodged a police report at the Cheras district headquarters here, claiming that his case was not given the due attention by the police. According to Yeow, he was awakened from his sleep by a shot which pierced through the door on the driver’s side, hit his right calf and grazed his left foot, causing him to be bedridden for two months. He is seeking compensation as he could not work for two months and had yet to pay the rent for his taxi. — Bernama
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