LRT ‘litterbug’ punished on Facebook gives his side of the story

 C.W. Chan (right) appeals to MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong for help to get the person who posted a picture of him supposedly littering on Facebook to remove the post. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Noel Achariam, August 12, 2015.

An architect in Kuala Lumpur has been on the receiving end of a stream of abuse on social media since he was caught on camera allegedly littering on an LRT train.

C.W. Chan, 39, who travels daily from Kelana Jaya to his office in Dang Wangi, said a fellow passenger had taken a picture of him throwing rubbish in the train and uploaded it on Facebook on August 6.

"I was taking the LRT to work when I noticed that my shoe was dirty and decided to wipe it with a damp tissue.

"As there wasn’t a garbage bin on the train, I decided to place the tissue on the floor to dispose of when I reach my destination.

"A passenger then came up to me and told me to pick up the tissue. I decided to ignore him. I hadn’t noticed that he taken a picture of me," he said at the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department this afternoon.

Chan said he was informed by his friend about the Facebook post, which went viral.

He claimed that he had since been abused by other Facebook users.

"The post was shared by many people and there were negative and insulting remarks. Some even posted threatening comments.

"The post received 1,897 likes, 6,000 shares and 53 comments," he said, adding that he had lodged a police report at the Kelana Jaya police station.

Chan said he was also abused on Facebook because he was photographed sitting on a priority seat which was meant for the disabled, senior citizens and pregnant women.

"There was no one that needed the seat so I decided to sit there. I would like to apologise if I have caused an inconvenience. I hope that the passenger will remove the post," he said.

MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong said the public shouldn't use social media to abuse people.

"Facebook users should not condemn Chan without hearing the whole story. He was not littering and was going to dump the trash when he reached his destination.

"The users should not become judge, jury and executioner," he said.

Chong also said that it was not against the law to use the priority seat.

"Anyone can use the seats if there is no one using it. However, they should be courteous and give up the seat when they see a person in need," he said.

- TMI