I'M SORRY... but this is what really happened

rloh@sph.com.sg

I am sorry.

In an 8min 38sec video uploaded on YouTube on Wednesday, Mr Quek Zhen Hao profusely apologised for his actions. He said "sorry" at least four times, hoping to quell the online storm over his road bullying of two drivers last Wednesday.

The video was titled "SGK5423P - the bullying of a Road Bully", based on his Honda Civic car plate number. In the clip, he gave his side of the story on the incidents.

FIRST INCIDENT

Mr Quek said he was driving home and was at a T-junction at his carpark when he saw a vehicle parked illegally.

When he tried to turn left, he noticed a car also trying to turn right.

To avoid a collision, Mr Quek braked, reversed his car and inched to the left, indicating he wanted to turn left.

"However, he reversed into a position where I needed to go to his right, which was against the (flow of) traffic," he said of the other driver.

So Mr Quek did not move. The other driver lost his patience and drove towards him.

"(He) pointed a middle finger at me, reversed and sped off to another exit," he said.

"I felt provoked and threatened. I chased him... to confront him and ask what is his problem."

SECOND INCIDENT

Mr Quek was driving to Yew Tee Square at about 40kmh when he encountered a red Volkswagen travelling at "around 25kmh" on the right of two lanes.

"As cars were overtaking her on the left, I tried to indicate to her that maybe she should change lanes by tailgating for a very short time. However (she) remained in the same lane," he said.

So he moved to the left lane, and was about to overtake her when she swerved to the left. He honked, causing her to swerve back to the right lane.

"She changed lanes after I had passed (her). I discovered I was too close to the left lane marking so I had to quickly react and move back into the centre lane (the road had become three lanes at that point)," he said.

"As there was a red light, I had to brake abruptly to keep a safe distance and to avoid hitting the vehicle in front.

"Once I slowed down sufficiently, I braked more gently and moved forward to close the gap."

APOLOGY

Mr Quek said he should not have driven and acted the way he did, though he was provoked.

"(I am) an idiot who had behaved badly when provoked," he said.

He replied to some of the comments posted on YouTube, many of which commended him for his courage to make a public apology.

"I had a rush of blood in the first incident. It was not right. I hold my hands up," he said in reply to a netizen who called him "reckless and dangerous".

Mr Quek said he had not released the video earlier because he hoped the online storm would die down.

"Never did I expect by doing (so), I was giving opportunities for people to twist and turn the story, to turn me into this fat, ugly, road bully ah beng," he said.

He acknowledged that he would "definitely be punished" for his mistakes.

"I know that my family will stand up and stand by me. (They) will not judge me but forgive and love me. So I will hold my head up and face the consequences."