M Update 22/1/2019 – A Facebook user has made a face-to-face apology to firemen for making disparaging remarks about the search and rescue (SAR) operation to recover a vehicle that plunged off the Penang Bridge.
Photos of the man known as Chuah Chun Howe surfaced online, showing him shaking hands with several firemen at the Jalan Perak fire station on Tuesday (Jan 22). An online news portal shared a written statement from Chuah who expressed regret over his actions.
“I truly regret what I said about the Fire and Rescue Department. I take full responsibility and am here to apologise at the Jalan Perak fire station and seek forgiveness from Tuan Ismail (station chief Ismail Mohd Zain).
Jalan Perak fire station chief Ismail Mohd Zain said the man came to the station at around 9.30am to apologise.
“We told him that there were no hard feelings as he also said that he did not think about the impact of his actions.”I told him that he should apologise online where the comment was made, but he said that his account had been suspended. “We explained to him that everyone wanted to finish the operation as quickly as possible, but safety is a priority,” he said.
Ismail added he was unsure why the apology was made at the Jalan Perak fire station as there are other agencies involved in the operations as well.”I suppose he stays nearby,” he said, adding that the SAR operation is not an easy task due to the murky waters and strong currents.
On Monday (Jan 21), Chuah’s remark on Facebook – which claimed that the Department was incompetent – resulted in a huge backlash from the online community.
The SUV plunged into the sea after a collision with a black car at 2.54am on Sunday (Jan 20). The vehicle was found and a body was spotted in the cabin on Monday (Jan 22), but efforts to recover the wreckage were postponed due bad weather.
Sources : The Star Online
