Kota Kinabalu: Five men have been arrested following a road rage incident in which a teacher’s car was smashed at a traffic light near Jesselton Quay on Saturday.
Acting Kota Kinabalu Police Chief Supt Syed Lot Syed Abdul Rahman said police detained the suspects in a swift operation after receiving a report from the 30-year-old victim at about 2.35pm.
“Initial investigations found the incident occurred around 1.45pm after the complainant attended an event at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC). A verbal provocation took place before the situation escalated,” he said in a statement.
According to police, the victim had returned to his vehicle parked near a courier warehouse at the Kota Kinabalu port when he was confronted by several individuals believed to be workers in the area.
The exchange turned heated, prompting the man to reverse his vehicle, during which he accidentally struck another car.
Several individuals then pursued him before surrounding his vehicle at a traffic light near Jesselton Quay, where they allegedly smashed the driver’s side and rear windows and threatened him to get out of the car.
The case is being investigated under Section 427 of the Penal Code for mischief and Section 506 for criminal intimidation.
The victim, when contacted by Daily Express, said the incident left him injured and traumatised, describing it as a “lawless” ordeal.
He sustained minor cuts to his cheek and neck from shattered glass and was treated at Queen Elizabeth Hospital 1.
He said he had attended the state Aidilfitri open house with his family before returning to his Perodua Alza where he was met with sarcastic remarks over his parking.
“They made remarks about us parking there while getting free food. We told them there was no need to be rude, but suddenly more people came and the situation escalated,” he said.
In a panic, the man attempted to flee but accidentally hit another vehicle while reversing.
As he tried to escape, he was chased by several motorcyclists and, amid the chaos, also collided with a van and a Proton S70.
“At a red light near Jesselton Quay, they came from the opposite direction and started hitting my car with helmets,” he said.
He criticised the attackers’ actions as excessive, saying disputes should be resolved through proper channels rather than violence.
A video of the incident later surfaced on social media, shared by his elder brother who said he was unable to assist as he was in Labuan at the time.
