Malaysian Driver Claims Police Demanded S$650 After Finding 4D Ticket Record On His Phone
A Malaysian driver has sparked widespread online discussion after claiming that a traffic police officer in Johor Bahru demanded a large payment to avoid further action during a roadside stop. The alleged incident, which was shared on social media, quickly went viral and raised questions about law enforcement procedures, personal privacy, and roadside checks in Malaysia.
According to the viral account, the driver was travelling along an expressway in Johor Bahru when he was stopped by a traffic officer. What initially appeared to be a routine traffic inspection reportedly took an unexpected turn when the officer asked to inspect the driver’s mobile phone.
The driver complied with the request, believing it was part of the normal enforcement process. However, the situation allegedly escalated after the officer scrolled through the device and discovered a record indicating that the man had purchased a “4D” lottery ticket.
In Malaysia, purchasing lottery tickets through unofficial channels — such as underground betting agents or unauthorised mobile applications — is considered illegal.
After finding the record, the officer allegedly told the driver that he would need to pay RM2,000 to avoid being taken to the police station. This amount is equivalent to approximately S$653.
The man’s wife later explained online that the officer allegedly demanded RM1,000 per person, implying that two individuals were involved.
Roadside Negotiation Reportedly Reduced Payment
The woman said her husband was shocked by the request as he did not have enough money on him at the time. He then secretly contacted her by phone and explained what had happened.
Believing the demand was unreasonable, she spoke directly to the officer through the phone call. She reportedly told him that the family could not afford such a large amount and suggested that if the authorities believed a crime had been committed, they could proceed with an arrest instead.
Eventually, the woman proposed a much lower amount — RM200 per person.
She reportedly told the officer that with Chinese New Year approaching, it would be better for both sides to settle the matter amicably.
According to her account, the officer agreed to the reduced amount. She then transferred money to her husband, who withdrew the cash from a nearby ATM before handing it over.
In total, the payment amounted to RM400, which is roughly S$130.
The woman later clarified that she did not share the story to encourage people to challenge police officers during roadside checks. Instead, she said she wanted to raise awareness about similar situations that others might encounter.
She also acknowledged that the outcome could have been very different if the officer had refused to negotiate.
Phone Searches By Police Must Meet Legal Requirements
The incident has also drawn attention to the legal rules surrounding phone inspections by Malaysian police officers.
Under Malaysian law, authorities may examine a person’s mobile phone in certain circumstances. However, according to reports citing the national police chief, only officers holding the rank of Inspector or above are authorised to carry out such searches.
The legal authority comes from Section 23(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code, alongside provisions within the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
Importantly, phone inspections must be based on reasonable suspicion rather than random checks.
Authorities have stated that such searches should typically occur only if a police report has been filed, if the individual is already under investigation, or if there are clear suspicions of criminal involvement.
If a phone search is conducted without valid grounds, it could potentially be considered an abuse of authority. Individuals who believe their rights were violated during a roadside check are advised to lodge a formal report with the police.
Original Complain:
大白天被拦车查手机，开口就要RM2000！我直接回他：要抓就抓吧
真的没想到，这种事会发生在我老公身上。
就在刚刚，Permas，McDonald’s同一排，他开车在路上，被一辆Civic拦下来。不是普通巡警，是
。
我老公一开始以为只是例行检查，结果对方直接伸手：“手机拿来。”
他乖乖给了。对方划拉了几下，刚好看到他手机里有个买万字的记录——就那种偶尔买着玩，一次几块钱，从来没卖过。
然后对方笑了：“这个，你懂的。”
开口就是：两个人，一人RM1000，总共RM2000，现在解决，不然就带回警局，到时候就不是这个数了。
我老公当场懵了，因为他身上没钱——平时钱都是我在管。他只能偷偷打电话给我，声音都在抖：“老婆救命，他们要RM2000，不然抓我去警局。”
我一听，火就上来了。
不是不怕，是觉得这算什么事？买万字而已，又不是卖，更不是犯什么大罪。而且大白天拦车查手机，开口就要钱，这到底是执法还是什么？
我直接在电话里跟对方说：
“我们家没有那么多钱。如果真的要抓，那就抓吧，最多进去关几天。”
顿了一下，我又补了一句：
“一人RM200，这是底线。快过年了，互相帮忙一下。”
讲真的，我说这话的时候心里也没底，不知道对方会什么反应。
结果你猜怎么着？
他回了一句：“OK。”
然后叫我马上转账给我老公，再让他去提款机取钱交给他们。
我当场傻眼。
不是，这也太直接了吧？全程就像在谈生意，讨价还价完了当场成交。我一边转账一边想，现在的真的已经缺钱到这种地步了吗？
后来我老公安全回家，钱没了，人没事。我问他怕不怕，他说怕，但更气的是：明明没做什么坏事，却要被这样对待。
这件事发出来，不是想博同情，也不是鼓励大家学我那样硬刚。毕竟我们这次是运气好，对方“接受议价”。万一遇到更难缠的，后果可能不一样。
只是想提醒所有开车出门的朋友：
手机里尽量不要留敏感记录，尤其是买万字这种
遇到拦车查手机，保持冷静，能录则录
对方开口要钱，别慌，别当场转账，先想办法联系家人
如果真的被威胁，事后一定要举报，不然他们只会更猖狂
我们这次算是破财消灾吧，但真的希望这是最后一次