Apology not accepted, let court decide your fate: Rela

KUALA LUMPUR: "Apology not accepted, let the court decide your fate" that is the message from the three People's Volunteer Corps (Rela) personnel to Datuk Sri Liow Soon Hee, who had allegedly assaulted them on Oct 27.
Representing the trio, Rela superintendent James Ee told reporters that Rela is a uniformed enforcement agency established by the government and regulated by a set of laws and regulations, and this makes Rela part of the government enforcement agencies.
"What the Datuk Sri has done to the three is not any ordinary assault incident which we can take lightly, it is a serious offence because what he did was as good as assaulting a government personnel who was carrying out his or her duties.
"Even though he had apologised and felt remorseful over his action, we should not just let it go, we should let the court decide," Ee said during a press conference at Wisma MCA today.
Also present in the press conference were the three Rela personnel – Melvin Cheong, Lee Weng Poh, Leong Jun Jie, Rela senior superintendent R. Moghan, Rela assistant deputy superintendent Ho Hoong Keong, and Rela superintendent Datuk Seri Michael Chong.
Ee said if this incident can be let go just like that then it would be hard to imagine what implication it will have on society if a similar incident occurs in the future.
Asked if Rela and the three victims were willing to accept the apology extended by the Datuk Sri, Ee said it is not up to the agency or the victims to accept the apology, as the court proceeding will still continue regardless.
"However, since the case is now in court we cannot really comment much so we will let the court decide," Ee said while stressing that their stand is very clear over the incident, which is to let the law takes it course.
Recently, during an event at the Selangor Community policing headquarters, Liow told the media that he regretted his action and willing to extend his apology to the affected members.
Apart from being charged for assaulting three Rela members who were on duty during a religious ceremony at Kew Ong Yah temple in Kampung Baru Ampang, Selangor on Oct 27, he was also being questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for allegedly offering the victims a bribe of RM10,000, via a middlemen, to drop the case, to which the Rela men refused the offer.
Liow could possibly face up to two years in jail, or a fine, or both, if he is convicted under Section 323, 325 and 353 of the Penal Code for causing hurt, grevious hurt and using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty, respectively.