The Malaysian police have been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons such as accusations of rape and extortion, sparking an outcry among the public.
Sadly, the police force’s already tarnished image suffered yet another blow after a traffic policeman was caught on film asking for a RM100 bribe from a UK couple who broke the speed limit.
M’sian traffic cop caught on film asking for RM100 bribe
The alleged transgression was captured in a YouTube video filmed by a British couple named Chris and Marianne, who document their global travels in their caravan named ‘Trudy’ on their YouTube channel ‘TREAD the globe’.
In this particular incident, the couple were travelling to Ipoh from Cameron Highlands when they were stopped by traffic police, causing them to pull to the side of the road.
A traffic cop then appears at the window on the driver’s side, where he informed Marianne that she was driving well above the speed limit of 60km/h.
Though Marianne tried explain, the traffic cop insisted on issuing her a summon, which he proceeded to follow up with a peculiar offer:
I issue summons for you and you pay at the police station. Or pay here. Pay at police station, RM300. Pay here, RM100.
Completely unaware that the traffic cop was, in fact, asking for a bribe, the British couple willingly handed RM100 to him.
Even when they asked whether he needed to check their driver’s license or relevant documents, the cop said it wasn’t necessary and left.
The experience also seemed to leave Chris and Marianne slightly baffled, where Chris could be heard narrating in the background:
“We sat there processing what had just happened. Were we speeding? Maybe we were. I guess if we were, then having the opportunity to pay a lower cash rate and not drive to the police station and get (demerit) points was a great option.”
Under Malaysia’s traffic laws, driving above the speed limit carries a RM300 fine, where the amount is non-negotiable.
‘Embarrassing!’
The clip didn’t take long to spark yet another wave of outrage, where netizens roundly condemned the traffic cop for his unsavory actions.
‘Very shameful to watch our policeman asking for bribe in a clear sunny day.’
‘As a Malaysian, we are so sorry for the cheap attitude by the police.’
‘An embarrassment for Malaysia. Hope the cop who took the bribe will be arrested immediately.’
Video under investigation
The matter soon made its way to the Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department (JSPT), where the clip is now being investigated, reported The Star.
Director Comm Datuk Mohd Azman Ahmad Sapri said police “would not tolerate any misconduct by their personnel” and called upon the public not to speculate on the incident.
“Members of the public with information on the incident should channel it to JSPT through the operations room hotline at 03-22663356 or email at protrafik_ba@rmp.gov.my,” he added.
Watch the video from the 3.40 mark onwards:
We hope the corrupt traffic cop will be punished for his wrongdoing by the authorities soon!
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