Policeman who assaulted deaf driver escapes jail with RM1,000 fine in long-delayed 'justice'

A 32-year-old police officer has been fined RM1,000 after pleading guilty to assaulting a deaf e-hailing driver, more than five months after the incident that sparked protests and a debate on the rule of law in the country.

Taufik Ismail, who arrived in court in the presence of several police officers who appeared to shield him from the press, pleaded guilty to a charge under Section 323 of the Penal Code.

He was accused of assaulting deaf Grab driver Ong Ing Keong at the lobby of the St Regis Hotel in Kuala Lumpur on May 28, in an incident which was recorded on Ong's dashcam.

The video showed Ong waiting for passengers when a man shouted at him to move his car to make way for an entourage of Johor regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, better known as TMJ.

Ong then rolled down his car window to speak to the man before he suddenly attacked him with a hard punch on the face.

He was later treated at Kuala Lumpur Hospital for a soft tissue injury.

Public outrage increased when it was revealed that a "palace representative" had asked Ong to withdraw his complaint lodged with the Brickfields police station.

Ong rejected a claim by city police chief, Rusdi Mohd Isa, that he had withdrawn his police report as it was a "misunderstanding".

Instead, Ong disclosed that an officer had given him the choice of either accepting a sum of money from the palace representative or having his phone confiscated if the case went to court.

The delay in taking action was also criticised by the government's Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), which questioned Attorney-General Ahmad Terrirudin Mohd Salleh over his silence.