Recently, a woman from Singapore claimed that police at the Johor Bahru (JB) checkpoint demanded a ‘fine’ after directing her and her companion to the lorry lane.
In her allegations, she shared that another car had been in the empty lane.
One of the passengers in the car, a Malaysian, has now come forward with their account of the incident.
They have shared footage of the policemen demanding a similar ‘fine’ from them.
In the Facebook post, the OP wrote that they were queuing up in the correct lane and waiting for their turn when they saw some police officers “messing around” with a barrier.
Source: Facebook
One officer started shining his torch at them, signaling them to enter the lane for lorries.
While the OP and her companions initially hesitated, they eventually did so after the police officer insisted with his hand gestures.
A few cars behind them followed suit, but only one other car, carrying the woman from Singapore, entered the lane.
The OP surmised that the others might have merged back with the rest of the traffic.
“Being a Malaysian, I grew up hearing all these stories about “kopi lui”, and this time, I finally experienced it firsthand,” the OP said. “I should have seen it coming and prevented my boyfriend from driving into that lane.”
But in the end, all I can say is that we were just unlucky. Because I believe, they won’t target Malaysia car-plate car.
Kopi lui or coffee money is a colloquial term in Malaysia meaning ‘bribe’.
The OP also noted that non-compliance was not as easy as netizens who suggested it made it out to be.
“When they target you, they’ll just play games and hang on to your documents,” she said.
Those who have the time and “guts”, she quipped, could ask the officers to write up the fine.
In cases where they are at fault, paying the real fine wouldn’t be an issue as the amount isn’t significant. Fines can also be paid online, if one can seek help from a Malaysian acquaintance.
However, the OP pointed out that she was in the car with her boyfriend and his mother, both of whom were driving to JB for the first time in a Singapore car.
“They were totally shocked and confused. My [boyfriend’s] mum was worried,” the OP said. “As a Malaysian, I know how these officers operate and what they want, so I ended up arguing with one in Bahasa, back and forth.”
The OP went on to state that after a long argument, she paid RM100 (S$28.46) to retrieve her boyfriend’s licence.
“If not he’s gonna continue holding on to our licence and repeat the same thing,” she said, adding that the officers justified their actions by saying that there were “a lot of cars” behind them and they had no choice but to give them a ticket.
The OP posted two videos of the incident, the first of which shows the police officer shining his torch and directing them into the lane.
Source: TikTok
The footage further revealed that the officer had instructed another vehicle to enter the lane as well.
The second video showed the officer taking their documents, with another serving them the “fine.”
Source: TikTok
They then led the way out, instructing the driver to approach another officer. What followed was a long argument with him, after which the OP paid the fine and retrieved the necessary documents.
The officer proceeded to lead them towards re-entering the queue to clear immigration.
Source: TikTok
At the end of the video, two of the officers can be seen communicating before riding away on their motorbikes.
The OP shared that the experience taught them to “act clueless” if targeted by such officers.
“Pretend you’re broke, can’t speak English or Malay, and just waste their time,” the OP said. “If they see it’s not worth it, they might just let you go.”
“And, if they try to move you to a new lane, just stay, unless you really know what you’re doing.”
“We were too naive and didn’t see it coming,” the OP continued. “A Singaporean car means jackpot.”
She added that in the future, she would refrain from letting her boyfriend and his mother drive a Singapore-registered car to JB. Instead, shee would probably transport them in a Malaysia-registered vehicle.
“It’s frustrating how they target Singaporeans,” the OP said. “It’s so sad to see this culture of corruption and they will never learn.”
She went on to note that the officers would often come up with “random reasons” to target Malaysian drivers.
“It’s a sad reality that many of us have had to face firsthand,” she said.
MS News has reached out to the OP of the post for more information on the matter.
Berita Harian (BH) reported today (14 March) that the Johor Police is investigating allegations of two of its officers demanding money from a couple from Singapore.
Since no official reports have been filed, they are also appealing for help from the Singapore authorities to find the affected parties to help with investigations.
The incidents are being investigated as extortion under Section 384 of the Malaysian Penal Code. Individuals found guilty may face up to 10 years’ imprisonment, a fine, or caning.
In a media statement regarding the two incidents of alleged bribery, the Johor Police emphasised its commitment towards combatting crime and untruthfulness among officers. This is to increase society’s confidence in the Royal Malaysia Police.
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Featured image adapted from TikTok and TikTok.
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