PETALING JAYA: Despite the explanation given by the police, Malaysians are still irked by the incident where a Malaysian Red Crescent Society four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicle and an ambulance were forced to stop at a junction to give way to the Prime Minister’s convoy, as seen in a recent viral video.

       Social media users are not buying that the decision was made for safety reasons, as seen on The Star’s Facebook post about the article, which has since garnered over 1,900 reactions, 851 comments and 227 shares at press time.

       The comment section was flooded with comments of discontent, with many emphasising the need to save lives, including Lian Lim, who pointed out that even in a war zone, ambulances are given the right of way.

       Others were sceptical of the explanation, including Jespal Sidhu, who asked, “Why not stop the lead vehicle of the convoy to avoid it being a danger to the ambulance and allowing the ambulance full clear passage?”

       Dzulqarnain Abu Bakar straight up dismissed the reason given, saying, “You can fool some people sometimes, but you can’t fool all the people all the time.

       “A feeble attempt to right a wrong, but we all know what’s going on.”

       On Monday, Selangor Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department chief Supt Azman Shari’at said the policemen on duty decided on the move after assessing that the distance of the lead vehicle was close to the intersection.

       “During the situation shown in the video, traffic police decided to stop the other vehicles, including a four-wheel drive vehicle and an ambulance, from exiting the intersection to prevent the lead vehicle of the convoy from colliding with oncoming traffic,” Supt Azman said.

       The Prime Minister’s convoy was heading towards Masjid Al-Mustaqqim, Batu 16 in Hulu Langat, to oversee clean-up works and aid distribution to flood victims handled by the relevant agencies.