23-year-old Malaysian man, Fong Tong Zjin, has been sentenced to 14 months in jail and three strokes of the cane after pleading guilty to molesting a 14-year-old passenger who requested a ride via the SG Hitch group on messaging platform Telegram.
Fong, who provided an illegal carpooling service in a Malaysia-registered car, was also fined $1,800 for using the car as a public service vehicle without a valid licence, according to Straits Times.
According to court documents, the victim requested a ride from Yishun Ring Road to Woodlands Close on Nov 25, 2023. Fong responded and agreed to transport her for $8 in his BMW car.
The car was registered under his girlfriend’s brother’s name, but Fong was the primary driver and took care of the finances for it, according to court testimony.
Upon arrival, he asked the victim to sit beside him in the front passenger seat and proceeded to molest her.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Yap Jia Jun stated that Fong held the victim’s hand, rubbed her palm, and groped her chest and private parts despite her attempts to resist. The victim feared for her safety and did not jump out of the car, asking Fong to drive faster instead.
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED :
When the victim arrived, she was preparing to open the back door of the car, but Fong instead opened the front passenger door and gestured for her to sit beside him. She complied, and as Fong drove, he requested to hold her hand.
As per the report, When the victim did not respond, the accused used his left hand to hold onto the victim’s right hand, with their fingers intertwined.
“He also rubbed her palm with his thumb, and commented that her hand was smooth. The victim did not resist. This lasted three to five minutes.”
“The more the victim tried to push the accused’s hand away, the more he touched her.
“The victim remained in the car because she was afraid of dying if she jumped out. Instead, she just asked the accused to drive faster”, DPP said in court.
After reaching her destination, Fong deleted the Telegram chat with the victim. He was arrested the next day.
The Land Transport Authority (LTA) advised commuters to use licensed or permitted carpooling platforms for their safety.
“The operators of these platforms would maintain a record of the driver and trip in the event of an incident or dispute” LTA spokesperson said as per the report.
LTA added : “Operators would also be required to verify the validity of drivers’ licences… Illegal carpooling trips matched through informal channels such as Telegram chat groups do not offer such commuter safeguards.”
Image : Stock & Telegram
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