Police stepping on motorcyclist head sparks online anger in Malaysia

MALAYSIA: Malaysians were shocked watching a video showing a policeman stepping on the head of a man who is seen on the ground in the 29-second clip.

Social media users are now confronted with two versions of the facts. One from the police and the other from the court of public opinion, which is strongly against such acts by enforcement officers.

Malaysia was rocked last year with an ugly incident that came to be known as the 'Abang Belon' (balloon guy) incident. At that time, the public urged the authorities not to repeat such acts.

For the police, in the arrest of the 32-year-old youth in Kulim, Kedah, there was cause for their actions since the man acted aggressively by kicking the motorbike belonging to a police officer before attempting to escape 'in a dangerous manner'.

The police also said they found two packages of suspected ketum leaf decoction, while an initial urine screening test found the suspect positive for methamphetamine.

They also claim the suspect was riding his motorcycle against the traffic flow before being successfully nailed down after a 5-km chase.

“Initial investigations found that the case occurred at 11 am when police officers were conducting a crime prevention patrol and arrested the suspect on Jalan Sungai Ular,” Kulim District Deputy Police Chief Deputy Superintendent Tengku Mohd Faisal Tengku Yeng pointed out in a statement.

However, the public thinks otherwise, as they have their own interpretation.

A digital creator in Kedah expressed concern, noting that since the suspect did not resist arrest, the police’s actions — pulling him off his motorcycle and stepping on his face — seemed excessive.

“I really respect the police, but this is too much … His parents should sue the police (for such brutality) . If you don’t have money, find a legal aid bureau,” he said on Facebook.

Today, the government, via the Minister of Home Affairs, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, has reacted.

The Royal Malaysia Police, or PDRM, has been instructed to conduct a thorough investigation into compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the incident.

Saifuddin said he has contacted the Kedah Police Chief regarding the matter.

“Any enforcement action by the police is guided by SOPs that all officers are well aware of.

“In this case (Kulim), I have contacted the Kedah Police Chief to expedite the investigation and check whether enforcement procedures were properly followed,” he said at a press conference.

Saifuddin said any further action, including by the police integrity unit, would depend on the outcome of the investigation.

“If necessary, the Integrity and Standards Compliance Department (JIPS) will be involved to assess whether there was any violation. However, we must first examine all aspects thoroughly,” he added.

This incident gained some reactions from the public. On X, one user said, “The way they do their job — is it acceptable to step on someone’s head even if he did something wrong?”

Another chimed in, saying, “Both are wrong. One for carrying ketum, the other for abusing power by stepping on someone. Wrong is still wrong — if this continues, others will get stepped on too. Disciplinary action must be taken, and as for the ketum case, he was already in the wrong and then tried to run, so of course he got caught. Done, I’m still neutral.”