Stop trying to make ‘basikal lajak’ case a racial issue, Najib tells PH

Najib Razak has accused the opposition of trying to “racialise” the sentencing of a woman for reckless driving in connection with the death of eight teenagers on modified bicycles or “basikal lajak” in Johor Bahru five years ago.

The former prime minister also accused Pakatan Harapan (PH) of linking him to the case to instigate the public against him.

Najib said it was wrong for the opposition to do so, adding that the case should not be viewed from a racial lens.

“This is a tragedy involving a young woman and the deaths of eight boys. Don’t politicise this tragedy and practice hateful politics. Grow up please,” he said in a Facebook post.

Earlier, the clerk was sentenced to six years’ jail and fined RM6,000 by the High Court in Johor Bahru for reckless driving.

Sam Ke Ting, 27, was ordered to serve another six months in prison if she did not pay the fine. She was also denied bail.

Her case sparked an uproar among opposition MPs, some of whom argued that Najib was granted bail, pending an appeal over his graft conviction and, therefore, the same rule should apply to her.

But Najib said the court’s decision to deny Sam bail had nothing to do with him or the government.

“It was a decision of a High Court judge, and the appellate court has yet to decide on allowing Sam to appeal.”

He pointed out that opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim had been granted bail after being found guilty over his sodomy charge by the Court of Appeal in 2014.

And Anwar, he added, immediately left to campaign in the Kajang by-election.

“So why do you criticise me when Anwar received the same treatment?

“And how come those from the other side do not blame Tommy Thomas for filing an appeal after the court had decided to acquit her (Sam) the first time in 2019,” he said, referring to the former attorney-general.

Sam, who had been charged with causing the death of eight cyclists at Jalan Lingkaran Dalam in Johor Bahru at 3.20am on Feb 18, 2017, was acquitted and discharged by the magistrates’ court on Oct 28, 2019 at the end of the prosecution’s case without her defence being called.

However, on Feb 18, 2021, the Johor Bahru High Court ordered Sam to enter her defence after allowing an appeal by the prosecution. On Oct 10, 2021, the Johor Bahru magistrates’ court again acquitted and discharged her.

The prosecution then appealed again at the High Court. FMT

Stop trying to make ‘basikal lajak’ case a racial issue, Najib tells PH

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