What was supposed to be a fun trip to Melaka with a Chinese business partner quickly turned into a frightening night for a Malaysian family after an argument over a tricycle horn allegedly escalated into a physical assault.
The incident happened at around 8.50pm yesterday in front of Coronation Park in Banda Hilir, Melaka, involving a family from Kulai, Johor, and their Chinese friend who was visiting Malaysia for the first time.
Argument over a loud horn
The family’s 33-year-old daughter, her 26-year-old brother and their Chinese friend were walking from the Menara Taming Sari area towards Dataran Pahlawan, while their parents followed about 10 metres behind. They were reportedly startled when a tricycle behind them suddenly sounded its horn, which was described as being as loud as a lorry horn.
The 26-year-old brother then allegedly shouted, “Horn what horn?” at the tricycle rider. The tricycle continued moving, but things reportedly took a turn when two men suddenly approached the group and began shouting at them.
One of the men allegedly attacked the younger brother.
Sister injured while protecting brother
Seeing her brother being attacked, his 33-year-old sister stepped in to protect him, especially as he had previously suffered a neck injury.
She was allegedly struck in her right eye, causing her glasses to fly off. The woman said she temporarily lost her vision in the affected eye, leaving her terrified that she might permanently lose her sight. Her brother and their Chinese friend were also allegedly hit during the struggle.
Their parents eventually rushed over to intervene, but the confrontation only stopped after the woman began screaming in fear over her sudden loss of vision and her father pleaded with the men to stop.
Right eye injured, vision still blurry
The woman was taken to hospital, where doctors found soft tissue injuries, inflammation and ruptured blood vessels around her right eye.
Thankfully, her vision gradually returned, although she was still experiencing blurred vision and discomfort as of this afternoon.
She later lodged a police report and was asked to undergo another medical examination at Melaka General Hospital, only returning to her hotel at around 7am today.
“We feel sorry for our Chinese friend”
The woman said her family had previously invited their Chinese business partner to visit Malaysia, hoping to show him around and introduce him to local food. Instead, his very first day in Melaka ended with him spending the entire night accompanying them through the ordeal.
She said the situation left the family feeling embarrassed and apologetic towards their guest.
The woman also said she was deeply frightened when she temporarily lost her vision and broke down in tears, while the incident also disrupted their travel plans.
Family suspects men may have mistaken them for Chinese tourists
Her father claimed that two of the three men involved were wearing shirts bearing the logo of the Melaka Historic City Council, while the third man was wearing a plain T-shirt. He believed the men could be local traders or tricycle operators in the area.
The father also claimed that one of the men, who was Malay, allegedly used Chinese when verbally abusing them, leading him to suspect that the group may have mistaken his family for Chinese tourists.
“But whether they are tourists or not, there is no reason to insult people or resort to violence,” he said.
State reps call for police action
Kota Laksamana assemblyman Low Chee Leong expressed shock over the incident, stating that an assault involving tourists could damage Melaka’s reputation as a tourist destination. He urged police to investigate the case thoroughly and take appropriate action against those responsible. He also said disagreements should be resolved through communication rather than violence, regardless of how the misunderstanding began.
Low said he would raise the matter with the state executive councillor overseeing tourism and seek an explanation from the state government.
Meanwhile, Member of the Malacca State Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Bandar Hilir Leng Chau Yen said tourism is a major contributor to Melaka’s economy and that tourism workers, including tricycle operators, have a responsibility to maintain the state’s image.
She said the chief minister had previously described tricycle operators as Melaka’s “tourism ambassadors”, adding that licences should be revoked if operators are found to have committed serious offences or acts of violence.
She also urged police to obtain CCTV footage from the area and called on witnesses with recordings of the incident to provide them to investigators.
Leng said she had previously received complaints involving disputes among tricycle operators over passengers, but this was the first case she had encountered involving alleged violence against tourists. She has since raised the matter with the Melaka Tourism Promotion Division and the chief minister’s office.
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