Pregnant woman miscarries after Uber robbery ordeal

PUCHONG: Ride-hailing service Uber has been put under the spotlight after a pregnant woman, who was robbed at knife point by its driver during a ride on May 21, has miscarried due to the trauma.
Cosmetic advisor Wong Mei Yan, 26, who was six weeks into her pregnancy when the robbery took place, said she found out about her miscarriage after a visit to the Serdang Hospital early this morning, following internal bleeding.
"I couldn't sleep for three nights following the incident. It caused me so much stress and anxiety, especially knowing that the victim's accomplice is still at large," she told a press conference, here, today.
While the driver, who had driven a heavily tinted car, has since been arrested and remanded on May 25, his accomplice, who was also in the car the night of the incident, is still at large.
The matter first came to light when Facebook user Eddy Ong shared a post about helping Wong get to the police station, after seeing her waving for help from the road side after being robbed.
Wong said she had begged the robbers to let her and her then unborn child live, following which they dropped her off in a secluded area.
She said she was especially upset that Uber had not made any efforts to meet, explain and rectify matters, adding that she had only received two calls from "Jerred", representing Uber, three days after the ordeal.
"The first time he called, he asked if I was okay. The second time, he asked me 'Apa you mau' (What do you want), which I find as a threat," she said.
Wong said she lost valuables worth over RM16,000, including two handphones, a Pandora bracelet and a diamond ring.
She looked physically distressed and overwhelmed throughout the press conference, which was also attended by Gerakan state liaison committee chairman Datuk David Ang Chin Tat, Gerakan Puchong public complaints bureau Andy Lieng Hwa Ching, and Wong's husband Tiong Ting Siong.
David Ang said he would offer Wong the required legal service to take Uber Malaysia to court, and that another police report would be lodged by the victim following her miscarriage.
He also contacted Jerred during the press conference to ask for clarification, to which the latter said he would connect him to the communications department soon.
David Ang said he was perplexed to find out that police had claimed the Uber driver had two previous criminal cases, raising questions and concerns over the company's method of screening new drivers.
"It is very concerning because Uber advertises strongly about safety and the procedure of selecting drivers. Unfortunately, they have not made any public explanation, and have been keeping mum since the incident," he said.
Attempts to contact Uber's higher ranking officials for comment were futile.