Singaporean cabbie fined over road rage incident

MUAR: A Singaporean man involved in a road rage incident on the North-South Expressway (NSE) has been slapped with a RM5,500 fine by the Magistrate’s Court here.

Taxi driver Soh Kian Hui, 45, pleaded guilty to causing over RM2,500 worth of damage to a car during the Feb 10 altercation.

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The charge was read to him in English before Magistrate Fatin Dalilah Khalid yesterday.

According to the charge sheet, Soh damaged the rear windscreen of a car using a cane after a heated argument with the 31-year-old owner of the vehicle.

The incident occurred at 1.58pm on Feb 10 at KM139.6 of the NSE in Pagoh, Muar.

The damage caused amounted to RM2,502.35.

Soh’s offence fell under Section 427 of the Penal Code for committing mischief, which could lead to a jail term of one to five years or a fine, or both, upon conviction.

Facing the law: Soh being escorted out of the courtroom by policemen after being charged with committing mischief.

Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Ariff Marzuki represented the prosecution while lawyer Norain Sakina Zikri acted for Soh.

During the proceedings, Norain said Soh is currently caring for his 71-year-old mother, who is recovering from cancer and has Systemic Lupus Erythematosus disease.

“Soh also earns about S$3,000 (RM10,626) monthly and has no criminal record in the country. He has also cooperated fully with the police,” she said.

Mohamad Ariff requested a heavier fine as a deterrent not only to Soh but also other road users, citing the dangerous location of the incident where Soh had stopped his vehicle.

The court imposed the fine, which, if not paid, could lead to 12 months’ imprisonment. Soh paid the fine.

Earlier, Johor police chief Comm M. Kumar had said a foreign man in his 40s was arrested following a road rage incident on the NSE. The arrest, made at 3.30am on Monday in Genting Highlands, Pahang, was in response to a report lodged at 2.36pm on Feb 10.

A 54-second video of the incident had went viral on social media.

Comm Kumar said investigation found that the victim’s action of blocking the suspect’s vehicle on the emergency lane along the highway had led to the suspect alighting from his car and breaking the rear window of the victim’s car.