Rela makes report against member
> Move taken over withdrawal of complaint against a Datuk Seri in assault case
PUTRAJAYA: The People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) has lodged a Malaysian AntiCorruption Commission (MACC) report against one of its members, Melvin Cheong Mun Khai, for withdrawing his report against businessman Datuk Seri Liow Soon Hee, who assaulted him and two other Rela members in October last year.
“We were shocked when we found out he had withdrawn the report,” said Rela director of operations Mohamad Razib Buhaini.
He added that while it was Cheong’s prerogative to withdraw the report, there were concerns that he had done so after receiving some form of “compensation”.
“We have our doubts, based on the previous discussions that we had. Let the authorities investigate it,” he said.
On Oct 27 last year, a report was lodged against Liow for assaulting the trio, who were carrying out their duties at a temple in Kampung Baru Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.
He had allegedly caused grievous hurt to Lee Weng Poh, 27, Cheong, 19, and Leong Jun Jie, 21.
On Sept 7, the Ampang magistrate’s court ruled that although the report had been withdrawn, the case will still be heard as there were two other victims involved.
Magistrate Muhamad Firdaus Saidina Ali agreed with the prosecution that a report was just an instrument to commence investigations.
However, the court granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal to Liow on the charge of causing hurt to Cheong under Section 323 of the Penal Code and another charge of using criminal force to deter Cheong from carrying out his duties as a Rela officer, an offence under Section 353 of the same Code.
Liow had pleaded not guilty to voluntarily causing hurt to Lee and Leong on the remaining two charges under Section 323 of the Penal Code.