“Abang Bas” Arrested for Filming Schoolgirls, Referring Some as His ‘Crush’

On the morning of September 6, 2024, a 24-year-old school bus driver famously known as “Abang Bas” was arrested in Simpang Renggam, Johor. The arrest followed a police investigation into his improper recordings of primary schoolgirls. The driver had secretly filmed the children on his bus and posted the videos on TikTok, where his account had more than 600,000 followers.

Inappropriate Captions

The bus driver had been sharing videos of the children, mostly elementary school students, on TikTok. Additionally, in one video, he referred to one of them as his “crush”. One caption says, “Today, my crush is busy doing homework.”

These videos, still accessible on the platform at the time of his arrest, attracted millions of views, leading to widespread outrage on social media. His account has now been banned from TikTok.

Arrest and Legal Proceedings

Johor police chief M. Kumar confirmed the suspect’s arrest at 2:57 a.m. on Friday, September 6, 2024. The arrest followed a police report and widespread concern over the videos’ impact on the children’s safety and privacy. Authorities seized the suspect’s mobile phone, believed to have been used to upload the content.

The case is being investigated under Section 15(a)(iii) of the Sexual Offenses Against Children Act 2017 for repeated inappropriate contact with minors and Section 15(2) of the Child Act 2001 for illegal publication of children’s images. If convicted, the driver faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of RM20,000 (about SGD 5,997.68), or both.

Parents Encouraged to Cooperate with Investigations

Authorities are asking the parents of the children in the videos to cooperate with the investigation. Johor police chief M. Kumar also encouraged parents to keep a close watch on their children’s activities, both online and offline.

Minister Calls for Swift Action

According to Malay Mail, the case has drawn the attention of top officials, with Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri leading the charge. She was very vocal in condemning the bus driver’s actions, calling them completely unacceptable and insisting that such behavior should never be tolerated.

Nancy urged the Child Development Department (JPKK) to quickly file a police report and work closely with investigators to ensure a thorough examination of the case.

Concerns About Social Media Use

As the case progresses, it highlights the need for responsible social media use. The police have reminded everyone to be careful and avoid using technology in ways that could harm others or break the law.

For more information or to help with the investigation, please contact the Johor Police hotline at 019-2792095 or the Kluang District Police at 07-7766822.