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The recent kerfuffle involving the drivers of a red Kia and a black Toyota Alphard at Tuas Second Link has caught the attention of many in Singapore and Malaysia.
The man who uploaded the now-viral video, involving a woman plucking out a car's licence plate and throwing it, has called for the online doxxing of involved parties to stop.
Man said all he wanted was a resolution
The 25-year-old civil servant Muhammed Haziq, who is the son of the Alphard's driver, told The Straits Times (ST) that he posted the footage taken from their dashboard camera with the intention of reaching out to the woman in the red Kia to reach a resolution.
"I shared the videos so the woman can come forward and settle the matter," said Haziq, who was not in the car when the Jul. 9 incident took place.
His father was driving his mother and two sisters to their property in Johor Bahru when they encountered the pair in the red Kia – a female passenger and her son, who was driving.
Both cars came into contact, a standoff ensued, a licence plate was plucked out and flung at the Alphard, and some vulgar hand gestures were made – all of which have been documented in videos that have been making the rounds on the internet.
Haziq said, "My father just wants to get his car fixed and wants to claim for the damage that the woman has caused."
Alphard driver's account of what happened
Haziq also shared his father's account of what happened.
Haziq's father was driving and saw a gap on the right lane in the midst of the heavy traffic heading into Johor Bahru.
He intended to switch lanes, signalled accordingly and moved his vehicle towards the gap.
At the same time, the Kia shifted forward, and both cars came into contact.
Haziq noted that his father let the Kia through, but alighted from his car to speak with the people in the other car to settle the damages incurred.
However, the Kia's driver "refused to leave his car" and instead provoked Haziq's dad with vulgar hand signs.
The older man went back into his car as he felt that there was "nothing else he could do" and decided to lodge a police report in Singapore and Johor Bahru.
The woman in the Kia then proceeded to pluck the Toyota's license plate from its frame before flinging it at the car's windscreen, while the male Kia driver would also make several less than savoury gestures toward Haziq's father, all of which were captured on dashcam footage.
A woman alighted from the Kia a few moments later and stood in front of the Alphard.
What happened next has been well-chronicled on the internet.
Woman in red Kia shares her side of the story
The woman reached out to Shin Min Daily News to share her side of the story and said she and her 18-year-old son were on their way to visit her relatives in Malaysia.
The Alphard, according to her, was allegedly seen cutting lanes consistently during the traffic congestion and her son refused to give way.
Both cars came into contact when the Alphard reportedly "forced" its way into the Kia's lane.
The woman was going to let the matter go as the scratches were not serious, but reacted defensively to protect her son after the Toyota driver allegedly scolded and cursed at him.
The Alphard driver apparently also tried to goad her son into getting out of the car to have a one-on-one fight, before he went back in to his car.
The woman got off the Kia immediately to try and reason with the Alphard driver but to no avail as he refused to speak to her.
Explaining why she had plucked and threw the license plate, the woman said she did so as she was in pain and angry that the driver caused both of her thighs to bleed by driving forward while she was in front of the vehicle.
Calls for online doxxing to stop
After videos of the incident went viral, netizens dug deep and uncovered information which some believe are related to the red Kia's 18-year-old male driver and female passenger.
Haziq told ST that while he is aware of these developments, his family remains sceptical about the authenticity of the information emerging online.
"We are unsure if that is really the woman and if the man is her husband. My family doesn't know if we want to believe what is online," he said.
He has also called for people online to stop harassing the woman and her family.
"(Even) if it is her, I believe that the way she is being treated is unfair to her. I would appreciate (it) if people stop putting up her pictures," said Haziq, adding that he feels sorry for the people in the red Kia.
Haziq told SMDN that him and his family are planning to reach out to the woman to hash things out. They will hire a lawyer to pursue the matter if they get rejected.
Woman aware of doxxing and worried for her son
Separately, the woman said she did not wish to have further interactions with the other party, but will be making police reports in Malaysia and Singapore instead.
She remarked that she has no need to worry as she does not think that she is entirely at fault.
With regard to the reaction to the incident, the woman told SMDN that she is aware that people online have doxxed both her and her son's identities, but said she is more worried about her son's well-being than her own.
"I don't care what netizens say about me, but my son is only 18 this year and is still in school. His principal, teachers and classmates asked him (about what happened) after recognising him from the video. My only regret is putting him through this sort of stress."
Singaporean and Malaysian police investigating
The Malaysian police said on Jul. 10 that they are looking into the incident, where they will be investigating if the woman and son had committed mischief.
According to The Star's report on Jul. 11, the Malaysian police said they have identified the woman and son and are working with the Singapore Police Force (SPF) to locate the duo.
SPF told ST that they will assist the Malaysian police when asked.
They confirmed that a separate police report has been lodged over the alleged doxxing of the woman and her family.
Those convicted of publishing identifiable information about a person with the intention to harass, cause violence or fear of violence to a person can be jailed for up to a year and fined S$5,000.
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