BUKIT MERTAJAM: A man literally put his life on the line in a bid to prevent his son’s car from being towed away by Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) officers, yesterday (Thursday).
The man, in his 50s, took the drastic step of lying prone under the car as council officers were about to tow the Mercedes Benz, which had taken up parking spots allocated for motorcycles along Jalan Dandy.
The drama began yesterday afternoon when MPSP enforcement officers were doing their rounds in the area, and had spotted the Mercedes parked illegally.
As per procedure, one of the officers blew his whistle three times, as a warning signal to instruct the offender to remove his or her vehicle.
When the warning went unheeded, the officers proceeded to clamp the vehicle and left their contact notice on the windscreen.
Central Seberang Perai district police chief Assistant Commissioner Nik Ros Azham Nik Ab Hamid said the officers returned an hour later to locate the owner of the car.
It is understood a man, the son of the car’s owner, then emerged from a nearby shop. In a rage, he maintained that he would not pay the compound to remove the wheel clamp.
The man is believed to be the owner of one of the shops nearby.
The MPSP officers replied that if he fails to pay the compound, the car would be towed away, as per regulations.
At 2.40pm, when an MPSP tow truck arrived to tow away the car, the man emerged from his shop and promptly slid down underneath the Mercedes, in between the wheels.
As such, the officers were unable to tow away the vehicle without running over him.
Nik Ros Azhan said MPSP officers and auxiliary policemen spent some time coaxing the man to come out from under the car.
When all efforts at persuading the man failed, they had no choice but to drag him out from beneath the vehicle.
“He was taken to the Bukit Mertajam police headquarters for further action,” he said.
No fights or injuries were reported.
The man has been remanded. He is being investigated under Section 186 of the Penal Code for obstructing civil servants from carrying out their duties.