'You can't arrest me, I'm a Datuk'

KUALA LUMPUR: “You can’t arrest me, I’m a Datuk!” exclaimed a suspect as he was being cuffed by police after a high-speed chase from Nilai to Serdang, early Monday morning.

The 33-year-old, self-proclaimed “Datuk” even said he was a lawyer and was friends with an Opposition leader in an apparent bid to avoid being arrested.

The “Datuk” then proceeded to kick at a police vehicle, curse the police and headbutt an officer.

Sepang OCPD Supt Mohd Yusoff Awang said police had first tried to pull over the suspect and two others in a gold Mercedes Benz near the Nilai R&R on the Seremban Highway at 3.20am, Monday due to the car having dark tinted glass.

He said the four-man patrol team sounded their vehicle’s siren and flashed its beacon lights to try to get the suspect’s car to stop.

He said a patrol team from Serdang intercepted the suspect’s car when it took a turn into Universiti Putra Malaysia.

“The officers came out with guns drawn and directed the driver in the car to step out and lie on the ground. As the officers were placing handcuffs on the suspect, he claimed to be a ‘Datuk’ and that he worked at a law firm and was friends with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,” said Supt Mohd Yusoff, who added that police believe the suspect was trying to lie his way out of being arrested.

He said the two other passengers in the Mercedes then came out of the vehicle to film the incident on their smartphones, claiming that police were “provoking them”.

Police hauled the three off to the Sri Serdang station, where the “Datuk” gave officers more trouble as they tried to process his arrest.

“He continued shouting vulgarities and spat at one of the officers. When we tried to take a mugshot of the man, he refused to cooperate and caused a commotion,” Supt Mohd Yusoff said.

All three suspects, who are from Seremban, were later released on police bail and are being investigated under Section 186 of the Penal Code for obstructing a civil servant from carrying out his duties.