After driver murdered, Grab says working with police to ensure safety

PETALING JAYA, June 24 — Ride-hailing services provider Grab Malaysia reiterated the organisation was working closely with the authorities and driver-partner safety remained a priority after one of their drivers was found murdered while completing a trip yesterday.

“The safety of our driver-partners is just as important to us as our passengers and a threat to their safety is something we do not take lightly.

“On behalf of the Grab family, we offer our deepest condolences to our driver-partner and his family during this time of loss,” Grab said in statement posted on Facebook today.

Grab said the driver, who was identified by police as a 27-year-old from Nilai, Negri Sembilan, was a hard-working and top-performing driver who was well appreciated by his passengers based on their feedback.

“His family is in our thoughts and prayers and we are doing what we can to support them during this time.

“We also request that everyone refrain from sharing his personal data in public spaces like social media or sharing speculation and rumours as we would like to respect the privacy of the family and the ongoing investigation,” said the statement.

Police found the lifeless victim in the backseat of his parked car in a parking lot yesterday.

Gombak deputy police chief Superintendent Tey Kok Seng said the victim was first discovered in his Perodua Myvi by the victim’s stepfather at around 8.20pm.

“The stepfather had approached a Motorcycle Patrol Unit police personnel in Selayang Baru and requested the officer follow him to the parking lot in Taman Selayang Makmur,” he said.

He said when both the officer and stepfather arrived at the location, they discovered the victim’s body in the backseat after the stepfather positively identified the body.

Initial investigations showed the deceased was found in an inverted position, with his head lying on the floor and legs upright against the backseat.

“Forensics at the scene failed to recover any weapon or fingerprints from the deceased’s body,” he said, adding there were also no closed-circuit cameras along the road leading to the crime scene.

Tey said investigators found blister marks on the victim’s neck, while the victim’s mobile phone was placed on the vehicle’s dashboard along with socks, a pair of shoes and a T-shirt.

The deceased has been sent to Hospital Kuala Lumpur for a post-mortem examination.