Lorry driver still fears for his life after violent assault

SERDANG: His assailants have been arrested but the lorry driver who was beaten up by a group of men at a condominium in Bukit Antarabangsa, Kuala Lumpur, still fears for his life.

Nasrul Faiz Zulfahmi, 25, pointed out that the men who were caught on a video recording beating him up on Jan 14 “were not the only ones around and the group could still retaliate”.

“My wounds have healed, but the scar is visible.

“I should be working now, but my boss gave me time off to have my statement recorded,” he told reporters when met at the Serdang district police headquarters.

Despite his fears, Nasrul said he was prepared to give police his full cooperation.

Police yesterday recorded his statement over a Jan 22 protest by fellow truck drivers – who gathered at the Sungai Besi toll plaza – to denounce the attack.

Police have deemed the protest as illegal under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.

Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs Alliance of Malaysia (Ikhlas) president Mohd Ridzuan Abdullah and Khairi Ali – who represents a coalition of truckers in Malaysia – also gave their statements.

According to Mohd Ridzuan, Nasrul was afraid and had sought their help.

As an NGO, he said, they wanted to defend the rights of those who were marginalised.

“We will help him all the way,” he said in a press conference.

Mohd Ridzuan urged the authorities to take swift action against those who assaulted Nasrul, and threatened to rally more than 1,000 lorry drivers.

Five people, including a woman, were nabbed in Kepong, Kajang and Negri Sembilan to facilitate investigations into the assault on Nasrul.

The viral video of the assault showed a fight breaking out after he got into a minor accident with a Mercedez-Benz.

It went on to show several men assaulting him.

The men were also seen warning off the condominium security guards, who tried to intervene.