Go-Jek Driver Accused Of "Kidnapping" Issued 12-Month Warning By Singapore Authorities
The driver has to maintain a clean driving record for the next 12 months.
By Tamara Jayne — 09 May 2019, 02:11 PM
The Go-Jek driver, who made headlines earlier this year for being accused of kidnapping a passenger, has been issued a warning by the Land and Transport Authority (LTA) in Singapore over the incident
The viral incident, which took place on 29 January, had sparked memes and the catch-phrase, "Is it because I'm Chinese?".
On Wednesday, 8 May, LTA said that a warning was issued to driver Kamaruzzaman Abdul Latiff for taking an unauthorised recording and releasing the video of himself and the passenger.
The Straits Times reported that the authorities called for an interview with the driver in February following the incident.
The warning requires Kamaruzzaman to maintain a clean driving record for the following 12 months
The LTA letter reportedly said that: "After careful consideration of the facts of the case as disclosed through investigations, we have decided to serve you with a stern warning on the condition that you maintain good conduct."
This is the LTA letter seen by Observer+ stating three alleged offences committed by Kamaruzzaman.
Image via Observer+In a statement, LTA reminded all taxi drivers and private-hire car drivers that they are "not allowed to make recordings within their vehicles without LTA's approval or disclose recordings to unauthorised personnel".
"This is to ensure commuter privacy, safety and protection of personal data," said the authority, Today Online reported.
According to LTA regulations, a notice must be fixed in the car notifying passengers that they may be subjected to a video recording. When someone books a ride on the Go-Jek app, the app must send a notification that the car would have a camera, Channel NewsAsia revealed.
The seven-minute viral video showed the driver in a heated argument with a female passenger who blamed him for taking her hostage
In less than 24 hours, the Facebook video garnered over 27,000 shares, as netizens criticised the woman for her hysterical behaviour.
The female passenger was seen yelling accusations that the driver was intentionally taking electronic toll gantries (ERP) so that he could cheat her money.
The 49-year-old was then seen explaining that he had no intention to kidnap her and had offered to drive her to a police station to make a report.