Netizens rally behind elderly man accused of touching woman's thigh on LRT train

FERNANDO FONG | New Straits Times

Kuala Lumpur | March 5, 2018

© Provided by Media Prima Celebrity ustaz, Ebit Lew (Insert) posted about the incident on his Facebook page and expressed indignant at the man being wrongly accused. Pic By NSTP/ Source from Social Media

Netizens rallied behind an elderly man who has been accused of touching a woman’s thigh while riding a train on the Sri Petaling LRT line recently.

Celebrity ustaz, Ebit Lew posted about the incident on his Facebook page and expressed indignant at the man being wrongly accused.

Ebit, saying he knows the man, said it was unfair for the latter to be accused publicly.

He said the man has family too and should not be shamed in such a manner.

He also thanked a netizen, Ramesh, who claimed to have witnessed the incident, for explaining what had happened that day.

Ramesh, in his post on Feb 27, had said that the elderly man was trying to adjust his robe as the woman next to him was sitting too close.

Ebit, who agreed with Ramesh, said netizens should think first before posting or sharing things on the social media.

"The uncle was being kind...he did not want to awaken the woman as she was sleeping...his robe was partially sat on by the sleeping woman.

"He was worried... and was being careful.

"I want to find out who created the slander and advise the person," he wrote.

Ebit added that he had known the man since he was only 12 years old.

The ustaz also said he knows the man’s children, adding that they are doing well in life.

Ebit said the man, a former high ranking officer, spends his time during retirement by going around talking about the religion.

Ebit's post drew more than 980 comments and was shared more than 9,500 times, with more than 18,000 likes.

Netizens felt strongly that the video had unfairly tarnished the image of Islam.

Some said the man should take legal action against those who slandered him.

Others said those who shared the video on social media are also at fault for spreading slander.

Netizens also pointed out that the man did not put his hand on the woman’s leg, as accused by many.

The 53-second clip allegedly showed the elderly man, clad in a white jubah and kopiah, moving his right hand towards the female passenger, who was seated next to him.

The man appeared to glance down towards the woman’s left leg intermittently.

The woman, who appeared to be asleep, did not move and seemed to be unaware of the man’s actions.

The video, uploaded by a netizen who sat opposite the man during the incident, had since gone viral.