The man who recorded his tirade against a woman promoting beer at the Giant outlet in Ampang Point has apparently been fired from his job as a despatch rider.
Mohamad Edi Mohamad Riyars, who goes by the moniker “Edi Rejang”, informed Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng about the news.
According to Lim, the private company Edi worked at had let him go yesterday following uproar from netizens over his actions recorded on video, which has since gone viral.
Edi had earlier apologised to the woman he had berated and to the public. In the video of the apology recorded on Tuesday (Nov 20) night, Lim was seated beside him.
“Edi had looked for me and asked me for help. He was crying as he spoke to me, he was afraid the police would come after him.
“I asked him what he wanted to do, and he said he wanted to apologise. And said he would do anything,” Lim told Malaysiakini of his one-hour meet with Edi yesterday, stressing that DAP had not pushed him to make the apology.
“Even today, Edi telephoned me and was crying as he spoke on the phone. He was crying because he was afraid of being caught by the police,” he added.
In his apology, Edi had admitted his mistake and explained that his emotional outburst at the woman could have been due to being tired from work.
According to Edi, he had unknowingly entered the section of the supermarket where the promoter was working and said some unsavoury things.
“At the time, I was shopping near the area. I saw the woman promoting the (beverage)… I didn’t notice that place was (the non-halal section). I got angry, took out my phone and recorded the video.
“I am not racist. My kids go to Chinese school and I have Chinese friends,” he said.
https://youtu.be/Dlz9ytzV8aE
Lim said that while the DAP has offered Edi legal aid, they will not assist him in looking for a new job.
DAP lawyers will accompany Edi to record his statement at the police station on Thursday (Nov 22), Lim added.
“I heard the police is hunting Edi Rejang this morning.
“So since I was the one who lodged the police report, DAP lawyers will accompany him to go meet the police in charge of the case at IPD Ampang Jaya for him to give his statement.
“Edi promised to give his full cooperation to the authorities,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby on Wednesday (Nov 21).
“It is up to the promoter to settle it out of court or accept the apology. It is not for me to say,” he said.
Edi had not shared about his family’s financial situation when he met with Lim yesterday but the MP doubted he was well to do.
“How financially stable can a despatch be?,” the DAP lawmaker said when met at the Parliament lobby this evening.
Lim previously lodged a police report over the original incident, saying he wanted the authorities to eradicate racial tension in the country.
The police have since initiated an investigation under Section 509 of the Penal Code, which deals with offences involving words or gestures with the intention insult the modesty of a person.
This law carries a maximum five-year jail sentence, a fine or both upon conviction.
In the video clip published on Sunday, Edi can be heard aggressively questioning a Chinese woman working as a beer promoter at the non-halal section of a local hypermarket.
It is uncertain when the video was originally recorded, but Edi was heard asking for her race and demanding to know if she was promoting the beer to “everyone”, including Muslims.
The promoter kept her cool during the scolding and responded to Edi in English, but he criticised her and insisted that she must speak in Bahasa Malaysia because this is “bumi Melayu (Malay land).”
Unperturbed by his provocation, the promoter merely smiled and asked Edi if he was being racist to which he kept saying ‘no, no, no.’
Edi then made an obscene hand gesture and sprouted obscenities at her before walking away.
The promoter could be heard in the video saying, “You are hilarious.”
Many people have condemned Edi’s actions and praised the girl for her courage in standing up to him.
Responding to the video uploaded last week, Malaysians dug up Edi’s personal details, including his workplace, phone number, as well as pictures of his wife and daughter, and releasing this online.
Edi has since deactivated his Facebook account and deleted many of the pictures on his Instagram account.
Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching has urged the public not to victimise Edi’s child following the deluge of criticism levelled against the father.
Teo also advised the public against sharing pictures or details of the child, such as the name of his or her school.
“School is for all children. We should not allow any student to be discriminated against or bullied,” she posted on Facebook.
“Let’s end hatred and not bring it (into) the school,” she said in a Facebook posting.
The police have also initiated an investigation under Section 509 of the Penal Code, which deals with offences where words or gestures are used with the intention to insult the modesty of a person.
It carries a maximum five-year prison sentence, a fine, or both upon conviction.
Meanwhile, Carlsberg Malaysia Managing Director Lars Lehmann said that he was very upset how the promoter was harassed when doing her job in line with all rules and regulations.
“The harassment she experienced is unacceptable. We are very proud of how she handled the difficult situation and immediately offered support to her when she reported the incident”.
“We would like to stress that our sampling activities are strictly for non-Muslim of legal purchasing age only. While we reserve our rights on this matter, our priority lies with the safety and security of our promoter. We respect the promoter’s decision not to further pursue the matter. She appreciates the encouraging words and support received from all parties,“ he added.