Two students from China found themselves becoming the victims of a brutal assault from a Grab driver during their trip to Kuantan, where one of them was left grievously injured.
The student who suffered multiple injuries as a result of the attack recently held a press conference to recount the harrowing experience, which she believes was triggered by her closing the car door too hard.
China student beaten by M’sian Grab driver for closing car door too hard
Speaking to reporters at a press conference, the 22-year-old student named Yuan (transliteration), who had been studying at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for three years, said she and a female friend went for a two-day tour in Kuantan last Friday (Dec 15), reported China Press.
After visiting the Kuantan 188 tower, Yuan and her friend hailed a Grab ride back to the Sky Tree Hotel to retrieve some belongings.
However, as soon as we got out of the car, the driver took a tripod and attacked us, causing the index and middle finger of my right hand to be fractured.
“After the attack, my friend and I quickly packed our belongings and hastily took a bus to KL as we feared further retaliation from the driver,” she said, adding that she later sought treatment at Tung Shin Hospital.
Yuan said that throughout her Kuantan trip, she didn’t run into any trouble and suspects the attack was due to her closing the car door too hard.
“I recalled that another driver muttered and gestured at me and my friend for closing the door too hard, which is why I believe these cases are related.”
Grab driver allegedly made threatening calls
Two days after the attack, Yuan said Grab informed her that they had suspended the driver’s account. Not long after, she began to receive several phone calls allegedly made by the driver.
I believe the driver made those calls to intimidate me as he was angry about having his account suspended by Grab,” she said
A police report has since been lodged and Yuan said she did so to seek justice as letting the driver off the hook would jeopardise her personal safety.
State government foots China student’s medical bills
Teruntum assemblyman Sim Chon Siang, who was also present at the press conference and helped Yuan in lodging the police report, said the Pahang state government will be paying her medical bills.
He also called for the police to quickly bring the driver to justice as his actions had tarnished the state’s tourism image.
“Regardless of the conflict or dissatisfaction, the Grab driver should not have escalated the situation and resorted to violence.
“I hope this incident will not tarnish Pahang’s tourism industry, affect the relationship between China and Malaysia, or dent the confidence of Chinese tourists coming here,” he said.
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