Earlier this week, a video went viral showing an elderly man allegedly hitting a Chinese student for eating at a FamilyMart outlet in Angsana Mall, Johor Bahru, during fasting hours. The man reportedly mistook the student for a Malay and demanded to see his identity card (IC) as proof.
When the university student refused, the elderly man slapped him across the face. The incident has sparked outrage among Malaysians with many of them rallying in the student’s defence. Not long after, the victim shared his statement regarding the responses to the incident. Here’s what he had to say:
On Wednesday (19th March), the victim, 22-year-old Elijah Ling Zhao Zhong, posted a video on TikTok to address the incident and the ongoing court case. In the video, Elijah thanked the public for their overwhelming support but urged them to move on from the incident. He requested that the public allow the authorities to handle the investigation. “I’d also like to remind everyone not to politicise the matter. It has nothing to do with politics. It was simply a crime that was committed against me,” he added.
After the video was posted, netizens praised Elijah for promoting peace within the community. However, many argued that, although the incident may not be political, it could still lead to racial division. Some advised the young man not to withdraw his police report and encouraged him to proceed with the court case to help prevent similar incidents from happening to others.
As seen in the screenshots, netizens continue to offer support for Elijah, expressing hope that justice will be served. Meanwhile, the elderly man who assaulted the student has faced fresh charges in the Johor Bahru Magistrate’s Court, according to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC). The 65-year-old accused, Abdul Razak Ismail, pleaded guilty. If convicted, he could face up to two years imprisonment, a maximum fine of RM2,000, or both. At the time of writing, there has been no update on the court case.
Watch Elijah’s statement below:
@elijahlingtiktok Mari kita move on untuk negara Malaysia yang harmoni.
♬ original sound – ELIJAH LING ZHAO ZHONG – ELIJAH LING ZHAO ZHONG
