_Steven_Kumar_(right)_with_daughter_Sheila_Sharon_(standing)_and_lawyers_M_Manoharan_(centre)_and_P_Raveentharan_(left)_after_a_court_proceeding_last_Monday._Ian_Mcintyre-The_Vibes_pic.jpeg)
THE PAST six months have been rather disquieting for Assistant Superintendent (R) Steven Kumar who saw how his daughter was hauled from being a high-flying policewoman to being meted treatment for alleged criminal conduct.
Steven, a retired police officer, is the father of social media sensation Inspector Sheila Sharon Steven Kumar, whom the Royal Malaysian Police (RMP) has suspended pending the outcome of three counts of criminal intimidation charges waged on her.
Steven served the force for 39 years before retiring in 2015 with the rank of ASP.
Torn between his loyalty to the force and his daughter who is an aspiring police officer, he hopes for a favourable outcome for both sides.
In an interview with The Vibes, he shared how he raised eight children by himself after his wife passed away fifteen years ago.
It was a tough life as a single parent, and he had often feared that his hectic job schedule might impair his parenting skills.
His children grew up seeing him as a mentor whose dedication left in them an indelible imprint.
Besides Sheila, one of his sons also serves in the police force.
"It was tough, but my kids adored seeing me in uniform, and hearing about my tales of gallantry and life on the streets as a tough detective, especially when I fought the narcotics trade," he recalled.
Sheila, in particular, was enamoured with the idea of serving as a police officer.
Sheila joined the police, and later became a popular figure on social media due to her advice to the public on safety issues in high-octane video clips that went viral.
She once also featured online discussing the type of men who can be her husband.
Sheila is accused of threatening a woman with the intention to intimidate the victim under Section 506 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum punishment of two years' imprisonment, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
She is also accused of insulting the modesty of a fellow officer under Section 509 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment, or a fine, or both, upon conviction.
Steven remarked that the RMP’s action on his daughter could have been instituted through internal channels.
"The police could have initiated a domestic disciplinary hearing on my daughter’s alleged abusive conduct,” he said.
Objection to repeat charges
Meanwhile, Sheila’s defence team told the Selayang Magistrate’s Court on Monday that the prosecution cannot place repeated charges on her as her case is still pending an appeal.
Lawyer M. Manoharan said in his preliminary objection that the attempted new charges were the same of the previous ones, with the same sections and same penalties offered to the court.
He informed Magistrate Nurhafizah Rajuni that under Article 7(2) of the Federal Constitution a person may not be charged, convicted, or acquitted of the same charges.
Nurhafizah then vacated the trial pending the appeal which is now at the Appeals Court.
Manoharan, a former Selangor assemblyman, was assisted by S. Raveentharan, a former Penang state rep, and P. Subramaniam.
Last year, the high court had set aside one of the three charges against Sheila in relation to insulting the modesty of another officer.
Justice Datuk Norsharidah Awang overturned a Selayang magistrate's court ruling that had granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) against Sheila, and instead acquitted the accused. – The Vibes, February 8, 2024.
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