Received the following email on the despair and anger of a law-abiding and productive Malaysian professional:
I would like to relate an incident that happened to me and my family on the North-South Highway as we were driving back from Kuala Lumpur to Penang on Monday 2 April 2007. This incident had left me with a feeling of disbelief, anger and fear.
My wife, our 2-year old son and I had just completed an extended week-end trip to Kuala Lumpur. I was driving and we started our journey from Kuala Lumpur at about 7.40 pm. As we approached the Tapah rest area, there was a police roadblock, maybe about 100 metres before the exit to the rest area. This is now 10.15 pm.
I slowed down my car as we got closer, the highway had been partially closed to become a single lane. A policeman who was holding a clipboard or file or some papers appeared to look at it and then at my car. He then indicated to me to move to the roadside.
I duly moved forward and to the left of the highway. A few seconds later, another male policeman came to my car on my side. My car window had already been wound down. He asked for my driver’s license which I handed to him. He took it and appeared to copy down some particulars. I was still inside my car, I have no clue as to what he was actually doing, nor could I see his identification.
Police: Nak ke mana? [Where are you going?]
Me: Balik Penang. [Going back to Penang.]
Very soon after, he mumbled something. As I could not hear him clearly, I asked him to repeat.
Police: Nak selesai sekarang atau nak hantar? [Want to settle now or want it
(summon) sent?]
Me: Pasal apa? [What is it about?]
Police: Bawa laju, 123, Trolak. [Speeding, 123(kmph), Trolak]
Me: Tak mungkin. [Not possible.]
I was convinced, 100% sure and confident that I did not on the entire journey from Kuala Lumpur to Tapah exceed 110 kmph. I was absolutely alert and I had consciously driven conservatively that evening especially with a young child on board.
Me: Tak mungkin. Anak kecil saya tengah tidur di belakang. Saya pasti saya
tak melebihi hak laju sepanjang perjalanan.
[Not possible. My young son is sleeping at the back. I am sure I did not
exceed the speed limit the entire journey.]
Police: Nak selesai sekarang atau nak hantar?
I did not answer him but reinforced what I had just told him that there is no possibility that I had exceeded the speed limit. He had the last words while handing back my driver’s license. The whole episode lasted 5 to 10 minutes.
Police: Kita hantarlah. [We will send.]
I took the license back from him and drove back to Penang and reached Georgetown without any stoppage at 12.50 am.
Asking for bribes is already a criminal offence. Asking for a bribe from an innocent citizen by a law enforcer by fabricating a charge (speeding) and threatening to issue a summon? This is the cesspit of the police force. But I do not think they have reached the bottom of the cesspit yet.
Now I have first hand encounter with people who are supposed to look after us. Instead they have turned right around against us. I am now convinced that many if not the majority of policemen have many other dubious means of extortion. For example drugs can easily be planted on an innocent person’s body or properties. As the penalty for drug-related charges are so severe, many people will simply comply to their demand to settle the case with money.
The less rich and less educated people are the ones most affected for obvious reasons. Is it surprising that motorcyclists are targeted so frequently? What about the single-lorry operators (as opposed to big haulage companies, who have their own way of greasing the law enforcers) who are constantly hounded?
If a policeman reads this article, he will be giggling and laughing away. It is such a small matter to them. They have seen and performed more incredulous tricks than what had just happened to me and my family.
I have given up hope that anything can be done at all for one very simple reason. Denial. Everybody knows what is going on, everybody including the IGP and Prime Minister. Their answer if this incident is reported: ‘No, there is no evidence that such a thing exists and even if there is, it only involves a few bad hats.’ Wake up, the whole basket of apples are rotten to their cores!!
Back to my feelings after the incident. Disbelief and angry because such an unthinkable act of extortion actually happened and committed by the so-called law enforcers. Fear because they can go further. Will you be surprised if one day, the police just walks up to you and asks for money or else? You know, protection money, just like what the triads have been doing. After this experience of mine, I will not be surprised at all.
Lastly, if the summon truly arrives which I doubted very much that it will, there is absolutely no way that I will pay it. I will fight it in court if necessary.