“Abang Bas” Now Has “Pencil Box Lawyer” In His Corner
Ahmad Zaharil Muhaiyar has now taken on the case pro bono.
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“Break whatever tabung (money boxes) you have.”
These were the words uttered by pro bono lawyer Datuk Ahmad Zaharil Muhaiyar who has taken on “Abang Bas” as a client.
Obviously, this did not sit well with many on social media.
Diam la peguam
— ns 🇲🇾🍉 (@_nadiaaaaaa_) September 18, 2024
Eleh. Dia pun terlepas dgn ikat jamin yg org lain bayarkan. Acah peguam ni.
— hmmm (@stuffypenggu) September 17, 2024
Dah kenapa peguam tu?
— Dancing💞 (@aziekuchiki) September 17, 2024
Adakah ini bermakna perbuatan yg dilakukan oleh suspek tersebut adalah perbuatan yg benar?
— Sunny (@scarredpotatoes) September 17, 2024
Sekiranya perbuatan itu adalah salah, Adakah salah bagi sesiapa utk menegur, mengkritik, & mengecam perbuatan salah suspek tersebut?
Prior to his release, an online fundraising effort took place where supporters donated to cover his bail.
After successfully raising RM40,000, Ahmad Zaharil handled the bail process which then saw “Abang Bas” reuniting with his family members.
Adegan menyentuh hati terungkap ketika 'Abang Bas' memeluk ibunya sebaik selesai ikat jamin di Mahkamah Muar pada Selasa. Momen menyentuh hati yang dirakam oleh Nor Azura Md Amin dari Sinar Harian.#AbangBas #MuarCourt #EmotionalMoment #BailProcess #MalaysiaNews #SinarHarian pic.twitter.com/FAAksZCgJg
— KL Sayang Semua (@KLSayang) September 17, 2024
It was said that the family of “Abang Bas” was not able to afford the total bail amount, causing them to appeal to the public for donations.
Following his week-long incarceration in a temporary detention facility for his failure to provide the required bond amount after being charged in court, Ahmad Zaharil handled the bail process pro bono
What about the tabung? Apparently, the family of this bus driver is contemplating initiating lawsuits against those whose actions on social media led to “Abang Bas” and his family being criticised online.
However, these individuals, which he said included celebrities, could still apologise if they want to avoid a lawsuit.
“Of course we have identified who they are.. there are many, the family has instructed that they be sued,” Ahmad Zaharil said.
“While he was in lockup he was heavily criticised and mercilessly,” he added.
Ahmad Zaharil said he sympathised with what his client is now going through.
“..After meeting him, I asked him to be patient because I will help him. In order to convict him, we can’t just look at it from one perspective, instead we have to look at the whole thing. It is unfair when you make various assumptions on social media without really knowing him,” the lawyer said, as reported by Harian Metro.
Meanwhile, the lawyer added that they were working to get the bus back which had been seized by the authorities.
Lawyer looks familiar?
Many on social media remarked that the lawyer looked familiar. This is because Ahmad Zaharil previously went viral on social media for his heartwarming pencil box story.
Ni kan peguam yg dulu tolong sorang wanita India yg mencuri kotak pensel utk anak dia, tahun 1998 kalo tak silap. Sekarang anak wanita tu pun dah jadi peguam.
— Raja Bersiong (@soopaloser) September 17, 2024
Dalam kes “kotak pensel,” yang diwakili Datuk Zaharil, defenden menghadapi pertuduhan mencuri. namun usaha Datuk Ahmad Zaharil Muhaiyar sebagai peguam,berjaya membela sehingga dikenakan hukuman ringan. Dato Zaharil ni aku yakin dia fight untuk hukuman yang tak terlalu berat
— hisham (@iesham88) September 17, 2024
READ MORE: [Watch] How A Pencil Box Court Case Brought Two Strangers Together
READ MORE: [Watch] RHB’s Raya Vid About A True Malaysian Story Touches Hearts Again
For the uninitiated, “Abang Bas” is a 24-year-old man from Johor who, like his moniker describes, drives a bus.
The reason why he started making headlines was because not only does he drive a bus full of school children, he also made videos of the drive.
This wouldn’t have been a problem if the caption that accompanied his videos were not suggestive. Considering these were underage schoolgoing children, clearly, captions like “hari ni crush buat homework” while referring to a primary schoolgirl, who was alleged to have been his niece, did not sit well with many.
Long story short, a police report was lodged against the man and his content and he landed in police lock-up on a five-day remand after being arrested by a team from the Kluang District Police headquarters.
READ MORE: “Abang Bas” Arrested At 2.57am – What’s The Story?
On 10 September, he was slapped with two charges at the Muar Session’s court.
The first charge involves physically abusing a four-year-old girl, his niece, by kissing her cheek between 5 and 6pm on a school bus in Simpang Renggam, Kluang district, between April and September 2024.
He could face up to 20 years in jail and caning under Section 14 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 if found guilty.
The second charge involves regularly viewing a nine-year-old girl for sexual purposes on the same bus.
If found guilty, he could face up to ten years in prison, a fine of RM20,000, or both.
“Abang bas” pleaded not guilty to both charges and was seen crying in the dock.
Bail was granted at RM30,000 for both charges, with case mention and document submission set for 10 October.
On 12 September he was charged under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588) for posting an offensive comment in a video.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted a release on RM10,000 bond with a single surety.
The court also ordered “Abang Bas” to stop communicating with or bothering the victim until the case is over and to report to the closest police station at the beginning of each month.
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