Jailing Sam Ke Ting Was Justice Served In This Bulan Puasa

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 Undoubtedly the jailing of the young woman Sam Ke Ting for six years plus a fine (on appeal) for an offense about which she had no prior knowledge or motive has stirred up more controversy in this country where everything is filtered through that all wicked racial lens. It was a case of her bad luck to run into a group of even more unlucky young boys who had no business being out on the street at 3 am in the morning. 
 I really hope that Miss Sam Ke Ting will be allowed to appeal this conviction to a higher Court as soon as possible. Denying her bail pending appeal seems a tad too punitive as well.   But like it or not we are all obliged to obey the Court. Rule of Law is paramount.
 There is much debate over this conviction and the debate is going to go on. Some news about the conviction:
 


 
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2022/04/13/clerk-sentenced-to-six-years-jail-over-basikal-lajak-case/

PETALING JAYA: A female clerk has been sentenced to six years’ jail and fined RM6,000 by the High Court in Johor Bahru for reckless driving in connection with the deaths of eight teenagers on modified bicycles, or “basikal lajak”, five years ago.

Sam Ke Ting, 27, was ordered to serve another six months in prison if she did not pay the fine.

She was also disqualified from driving for three years, effective immediately after she completes her prison sentence.

Judge Abu Bakar Katar, in his decision on the appeal of the case, said the prosecution had succeeded in proving a prima facie case against Sam, according to Berita Harian.

Here is a reader's letter (Stephen Ng) about the same that appeared in Malaysiakini:
https://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/618137
LETTER | Do you see what I see in Sam Ke Ting's case?
Stephen Ng
Published:  Apr 15, 2022

LETTER | As I write this piece, the net citizens are re-visiting the incident that led to the jailing of 27-year-old clerk Sam Ke Ting (above) for six years without bail!

No one would disagree with me that bail is usually denied for reckless driving, which involved the death of eight teenagers.

However, there is something more cynical about this than what most people see.

More than meets the eye

Net citizens are generally very angry because while some offenders who have stolen so much money from the nation's coffers are roaming about freely, a young woman has been sentenced to six years in jail.


The other reason is that these kids are a menace to other motorists, riding on their bicycles in a dangerous manner. They have no business being on a highway, and they are not only endangering their own lives but the lives of many other citizens.

The third reason is that, as I see it, some politicians try to racialise this case to win votes, but the anger of net citizens has hit the roof that not only the Chinese but many Malays are using this incident to speak up against the way how things are developing in the country.

I noticed that an online petition was, in fact, initiated by a Malay. Even Sam's lawyer was a Malay, which goes to show that, with the exception of politicians who continue to play on the racial card, we are still united as Malaysians.

While most people would not even think of pressuring the authorities to charge the parents for their negligence, it looks like what a young Malay lawyer had put forward may be one of the only options to ensure that basikal lajak (illegally modified bicycles) racing does not happen anymore.

In a report by FMT, lawyer Nor Zabetha Muhammad Nor said, "this was paramount when it comes to the safety of these minors, adding that any such neglect should be considered an offence under the Child Act 2001."

Perhaps, it is time for net citizens to call on the parents of these kids to be charged in court for their failure to keep their teenagers from behaving menacingly on the highways, as they, too, can be fined up to RM20,000 or jailed for five years, if found guilty of neglecting the safety of their children.

In short, it is not the accident or the jailing of Sam, but Malaysians, regardless of race and religion, are angry with what they see happening to the country.

People against Insanity

One of the most critical commentators is Mariam Mokhtar. In a video, Mariam, in her own fashion, has probably made some of the most sarcastic remarks about the entire episode. I sent it out to friends to gauge their responses.

Being a Malay herself, no one can call her a racist when she reprimands her own people. She feels she has to do it – and she is right!

Most people are sympathetic towards the lady not because she is Chinese but because such an accident should not have happened in the first place. The teenagers riding their bicycles recklessly on the highway were inviting disaster to happen, not only to their own lives but to the lives of others.

If it did not happen to Sam, it could happen to any of us. Even Johor Prince Tunku Idris Sultan Ibrahim was not spared from this menace, which prompted His Excellency to speak up on a personal observation of these teenagers in his own state.


In the article carried by Malaysiakini on Feb 25, 2017, Tunku Idris was responding to a campaign called "Protest against Chinese woman who was not jailed or fined and was let off by police just like that." He, too, was against the racialisation of the accident.

Based on the videos released by net citizens, the way these bicyclists were riding their bicycles on the road was simply too dangerous. If not stopped immediately, similar accidents can happen again. This is why I can understand why the amount of support Sam is getting is simply overwhelming.

The police have confirmed that Sam was not drunk, and neither was she on drugs. She was driving within the speed limit, and it was a highway; and based on the facts, the road itself was very dark. She could have entered into a state of panic and lost control of the vehicle, and fortunately enough, it did not hit all 30 kids.

Sam's car had turned turtle, and she could have been killed in the accident. It is obvious to me that the kids had no business riding their bicycles on the highway. If a truck had come, the accident could have been much worse!

But, in my opinion, what irks people the most is the way this government conducts itself in this and other cases involving small offenders during the movement control order. The conclusion I see written all over everyone's mind is: "There appear to be two standards – one for the elitists, the other for ordinary citizens."

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
My Comments :

I also received the following video which has gone viral today: 
  And this too:

My comments : My own view is Miss Sam Ke Ting should not have been found guilty at all.  It was her terrible misfortune that the route she took would run into a group of teenagers fooling around on their bikes at 3 am in the morning. 
I have a question : indeed what if it had been a lorry driver driving an 18 wheeler truck which had hit those teenagers at 3 am in the morning? More could have died. 
But I would like to take all Malaysians (including the judges and the Attorney Generals Chambers) down a quick memory lane.
1.  Please recall the case in Kedah (about 10 years ago) where a total of 10 people died from food poisoning after consuming food served by a food caterer.  All the victims and the caterer were Malays.  No one was prosecuted, fined or jailed. How come? What kind of a justice system do we have where 10 people died but no one was punished?
2. Six Bomba personnel were drowned while trying to save a teenager in a mining pool. Some idiot said "we followed our SOPs". So even if the SOPs kill people it is ok.  All the victims were Malays. Those who were in charge were also Malays.  Again no one was held responsible for negligence. No one was fined, jailed or held for negligence. What kind of justice system do we have?
3.  Remember the case in the Cameron Highlands where some engineers released water from a dam WITHOUT giving proper warning to people downstream. The sudden flood killed FOUR people.  The victims were Orang Asli and maybe some foreigners.  Again no one was held liable, charged in Court, fined, jailed or punished by the Law.  What kind of justice system do we have? Four lives were lost.
4.  Remember the collapse of that pedestrian bridge (near Mid Valley) which was still under construction. Four foreign  workers died. Again no one was charged for negligence or held liable for any wrong doing. What kind of justice system do we have?

5. Pastor Koh, Amri Che Mat, Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth have been made to disappear. They have been abducted. The SUHAKAM inquiry into the abduction and disappearance of Pastor Koh and disappearance of Amri Che Mat has named the Special Branch of the Police as being responsible.   
But again no one was charged for any criminal wrong doing. What kind of justice system do we have?  Five years have gone by - what happened to Pastor Koh, Amri Che Mat, Joshua Hilmy and his wife Ruth Sitepu? Where are they? What did they do to these victims after they were abducted?

What is sorely lacking in this country are good moral values. It looks like there are thousands and millions of fathers and mothers (ibu bapa) in our country who have raised generations of Malaysians who just do not seem to have moral values.  
The lack of good moral values or a good moral compass  causes them to engage in really dysfunctional behaviour which ultimately heaps hardships onto other people in our society.
Their lack of moral values causes serious harm, loss of life, injustice, anguish and suffering on the innocent people in our society. And they do not care.
The lack of moral values permeates all strata of society - from the lowest semi literate street kids to those who pray fervently to their fears and to those who wear collars, robes and head gears. The morality is just missing. 
Well this is the bulan puasa - lets turn to the Quran for some guidance.  Here is Surah 5:8
 

Here it is in Malay:
 Surah 5:8  Wahai orang-orang yang beriman, hendaklah kamu semua sentiasa menjadi orang-orang yang menegakkan keadilan kerana Allah, lagi menerangkan kebenaran; dan jangan sekali-kali kebencian kamu terhadap sesuatu kaum itu mendorong kamu kepada tidak melakukan keadilan. Hendaklah kamu berlaku adil (kepada sesiapa jua) kerana sikap adil itu lebih hampir kepada taqwa. Dan bertaqwalah kepada Allah, sesungguhnya Allah Maha Mengetahui dengan mendalam akan apa yang kamu lakukan. 
Sila perhatikan sekali lagi:
 "..dan jangan sekali-kali kebencian kamu terhadap sesuatu kaum itu mendorong kamu kepada tidak melakukan keadilan. Hendaklah kamu berlaku adil (kepada sesiapa jua) kerana sikap adil itu lebih hampir kepada taqwa.." Even if you dont like a people you still have to act in perfect justice towards them.  That is the real Islam.  If you want to be a real Muslim. That is morality.
  The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.By Syed Akbar Ali 

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