Malaysian police probe video of Grab driver harassing female passenger in JB; Grab apologises

Police in Johor Bahru, Malaysia, are reportedly investigating a video that appears to show a Grab driver harassing a female passenger during a ride.

The video, posted on social media on Sunday (Feb 1), shows the driver reaching toward the rear passenger seat while asking the woman for her age in Mandarin.

An anonymous poster, identifying themselves as the passenger's sibling, uploaded two videos on Facebook, along with a screenshot of the Grab ride details. The post was made to a group called JB Chui Shui Zhan.

According to the post, the incident occurred while the female passenger was travelling from Taman Mount Austin to R&F Mall, located close to the Causeway.

In the video, the Grab driver's arm can be seen reaching toward the passenger's thigh and asking: "How old are you this year? Can you speak Mandarin?" 

The passenger, whose age has not been disclosed, used her hand to shield herself from the driver's advances. She then used the same hand to grip her clothing in a tense gesture, and did not respond.

In one of the clips, the driver can be heard asking: "How much? How much to rent a room with you?" 

In response to CNA queries, Grab Malaysia issued a public apology, and said that the driver in question had been banned from its platform.

"We are truly sorry that the passenger went through this distressing experience on our platform. We have reached out to offer our support, and the driver-partner’s account has been banned, while we will cooperate with the authorities as needed."

The spokesperson added that "every partner undergoes a stringent screening process before joining our platform". 

According to the Facebook post, the woman was in tears during the ride and locked herself in her room after returning home.

In the post, the sibling said the family has lodged a complaint against the driver and plan to file a police report once the passenger is emotionally ready.

The video has sparked public outrage on social media, with users urging authorities to take action and the woman to report the incident.

One wrote: "Report to the police immediately. You can't let people like him get off the hook."

The post has attracted 1,900 comments and has been shared 3,600 times.

Sin Chew Daily reported on Monday that the alleged culprit teaches at Johor Jaya Chinese Primary School in Johor Bahru.

The chairman of the school told Sin Chew Daily that the school is waiting for the principal to provide further confirmation. He also said that the actual situation could not be determined based solely on the videos circulating online.

The chairman reportedly added that if and when the driver's identity is confirmed as being a teacher there, the case will be referred to the Johor State Education Department for further action.

Johor Bahru South police chief Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat said that investigators are aware of the video and are looking into the incident from all angles, the Malay Mail reported.