The Malaysian police are investigating an incident where three men allegedly impersonated officers and appeared to try to pull over a car travelling from Singapore to Genting.
In a statement on Monday, acting Kulai police chief Yusof Othman said that the incident was believed to have occurred at 41.5km of the North-South Highway, next to the Sedenak toll plaza exit in Kulai, Johor.
He was responding to a Facebook post in Chinese by user Freeman Gan WT on Monday, who claimed that a car started following him and a friend around the 27km mark of the highway at about 5.40am on Monday.
In a video accompanying the post, which Mr Gan said took place around the 37km mark, a silver car, with a flashing blue beacon light on its roof, can be seen speeding alongside his.
While he initially thought the men inside the car were police officers, Mr Gan said he later suspected that they were impersonators and refused to let them stop in front of his vehicle.
While racing ahead, he said that he called the police who told him not to stop and that if the car did not relent, to drive towards the nearest police station.
It was only at about the 71km mark that the car had disappeared, said Mr Gan, adding that he stopped at a crowded area at 8.10am to have breakfast with his friend.
Supt Yusof said the suspects are believed to be three men, whose nationality is unclear, and were wearing masks.
The men had used a blue beacon light similar to those used by the police and attempted to stop the car by gesticulating with their hands, he added.
He said that a police report about the incident was lodged by a police officer at about 1.52pm on Monday, and that the victims have not made a report themselves. He also appealed to members of the public to share any information they have.
If found guilty under the penal code, the offenders can be jailed a maximum of two years, fined or both.
Commenting on the incident, Malaysian politician Wong Bor Yang said in a Facebook post the police are investigating the widely circulated video, which has racked up nearly 8,000 likes and about 30,000 shares.
He said that if members of the public encounter such incidents of fake police cars obstructing their way, they are advised to drive to the nearest police station to make a report.
In the event that they have been stopped by the impersonators, they should request for the fake police officers’ identification documents, ask for the reason for their detainment and visit the police station thereafter.
This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
