The Spirit of Christmas 2011 arrives...

The year of 2011 started with much pain, horror and sorrow. It's time that the Christmas Spirit to arrive, filling each heart again with hope, hope for a perfect love descending from the Heavens as in the First Christmas.

~Joshua

Malaysian police ethics

I was caught by the police for overtaking a vehicle along a double line lane.

Here's how it begins. Three cars (mine was the second) were trailing behind a lorry that is going at the speed of 60 km/h on a 80 km/h road. Perhaps all the three cars were impatient including myself. So we decided to overtake the lorry, simultaneously one car after another.

All three cars were caught red handed after the overtaking by two policemen in front. All three cars were stopped aside, suprisingly only me (the driver of the second car) was asked to get down from the car and proceed to another police who was waiting by the police car. The cars in front and behind me had children (presumbly family) in them.

So the police asked for my identification, so I gave both my driving license and identity card. So the conversation began:

Police: Can I have your Identity card?

Joshua: Yes. [Gave both my driving licence and IC]

Police: I'm going to give you a ticket for overtaking on a double line lane, do you want the ticket?

Joshua: I have break the law, what else can I do?

Police: The ticket is going to cost you RM 600.

Joshua: That much???!!! That's impossible, according to the law its only RM 300 maximum.

Police: This is OPS SIKAP (Referring to the special traffic police operation for the holiday season)

Joshua: That's not right, I didn't hear from anywhere that they raised the compound/ ticket.

Police (2): [The one who stop me and dealed with the other two drivers who were in their cars]

Police (2): Why did you overtake?

Joshua: The car behind me were following very closely.

Police (2): But you shouldn't.

Joshua: Yes, I break the law.

Police: So do you want a ticket?

Joshua: What else can I do, I have broken the law.

Joshua: [ Police 2 was walking back to the other drivers returning their licence] Did the other two drivers get a ticket else well? How come I am the only one getting a ticket while not the other two?

Police: [Panicked abit] if you dont want a ticket is fine.

Police (2): [ Walked back towards the first police officer and me by the police car]

Joshua: I broke the law, so did they? So why wasn't they given a ticket as well?

Police: [couldn't answer me while trying to return my identity card and driving licence]

Police (2): We didnt gave them a ticket and we're not going to give you one either.

Joshua: [I took out my mobile and start recording down the car registration number of the other two vehicles who are leaving now, while the police looked panicked abit]

Police: We're not giving you a ticket, we didn't asked you to sign anything right.

Joshua: Really, you can do that? but I break the law.

Police: We can let you off with a warning.

Joshua: Thank you sir [Walked back to my car and drove away]

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So, the moral of the story? If you break the law, bear with the consequences and deal with it. There's no need to break another law (corruption) to get away. Corrupt practices are so rampant these days, everyone in Malaysia knows it and a majority of them will get away by paying RM50 -RM 100 to the officer to get away from a summom/ticket (RM 300).

And so I was let off with a verbal warning for a traffic offence which I admitted. Three cars committed the offence and I'm the one who is given a ticket? Where is justice? If the police decide to give me a ticket still without giving the other two drivers. It will not be easy for the police when I file a COMPLAINT!

Perhaps, I should thank the other two drivers, if wasn't for them and I commited the offence alone. I will have to pay a RM300 ticket now...haha.

If we don't want a CORRUPT GOVERNMENT, we must not be CORRUPT CITIZEN or offer even a single cent of bribe as well!

Joshua