By Zakiah Hanum | February 20, 2012
The Malaysian Insider
FEB 20 — I was driving down the coastal road yesterday when I saw an army van ahead of me. The driver was in his fatigues, puffing away at the wheel.
While it may not be offence for people to smoke while driving, I find it unbecoming for a soldier on duty to do so. Fastidious you may think, but there is more as the said soldier drove through the red traffic light.
This type of errant behaviour amongst our uniformed personnel is not altogether unfamiliar, albeit this is the first time I have witnessed an army personnel flout the law. I have seen the police break traffic rules many times. I have also observed bad-manners and crass behaviour in local police officers on several occasions.
It’s distressing when such offences are observed. It sets me to question what is to happen to society when the very people tasked to protect it cannot comply with the basic rule of law, the very law that they are supposed to enforce, champion, and defend. How can laws be enforced when the enforcers do not abide by them? Surely the army and police should be leading by example? What happens when society can no longer look up to the law enforcers and the military for compliance and good conduct?
The faults committed may seem trivial and more often than not we do not even think that we ought to report such offences, which in itself is already a norm. Part of the fault lies in our apathy; we tend to react (if we react at all) with scorn and contempt, but we do not lodge formal reports either due to fear or simply due to our ‘tidak apa’ attitude. More often than not the fault lies in our ‘tidak apa’ attitude, which requires systematic re-education and campaigning to beat.
I for one will shrug my own feeling of apathy and discard my “tidak apa” tendencies by lodging a written complaint to the military tonight. And now to recall the registration number of the vehicle in question.
Should I be fussed?
#1 by yhsiew on Monday, 20 February 2012 - 10:20 am
///How can laws be enforced when the enforcers do not abide by them?///
That is why when high-profile figures commit corruption, their juniors follow suit.
#2 by chinkimwah on Monday, 20 February 2012 - 10:22 am
I laud your conscientious bravery but you are only the David against the Goliath. Sad to say that our uniformed personnel are only serving their political master and not the rakyat.
#3 by sheriff singh on Monday, 20 February 2012 - 10:52 am
When the enemy attacks, ours will be smoking.
Have you also noticed the many pot-bellied personnel we have in uniform? Look at the many photos in the media. They are all obese enjoying the good life. Look at their uniforms. They have all kinds of medals and stripes and badges and whatever other honours. But they are all out of shape. Ada style but are they fit or ready?
#4 by monsterball on Monday, 20 February 2012 - 11:11 am
There are many many incidences that shows to the public.our police force is low class in disciplines and manners.
They even show they are not qualified to be a policemen.
The blame is on the Min. Of Defence.
When you have a leader who knows next to nothing …the end result are shown from the top police officers …right down to the bottom.
As we can see…police are used for political reasons…..protecting UMNO b party and never for the right reasons.
#5 by Winston on Monday, 20 February 2012 - 11:41 am
If I remember correctly, at one time the government wanted to
send obese soldiers to health farms to slim down!
Don’t know if this practice is still ongoing.
Now, talking about people beating the traffic lights.
It’s as normal as breathing!
The Sun newspaper have photos showing people beating traffic
lights daily.
And if you ask the offenders, the reply would be, “There are no
cars at around, so why should I wait?”.
This attitude is no doubt reinforced by the fact the laws in this
country are not enforced at all!
Not only with regard to the beating of traffic lights but in all
other aspects as well.
That’s why Malaysians have no respect for the law at all!!!
No laws please, we are Malaysians should be our motto!!!!
#6 by SENGLANG on Monday, 20 February 2012 - 1:12 pm
That is normal. It was not unusual to see police car just parked at the nearest roadside as convenient as it could be and enjoy their teh tarik at the mamak stall. You think who can complaints. They can simply put in the lock up by justifying that you are hindering they carry their duties. Don’t play play lah. It was just normal
#7 by sheriff singh on Monday, 20 February 2012 - 1:18 pm
Somebody just told me that many of these drivers don’t have driving licences for the vehicles they are driving. Furthermore, they may not be authorised or competent to drive on public roads. So what happens when there is an accident ?
Food for thought.
#8 by cemerlang on Monday, 20 February 2012 - 1:59 pm
Easier said than done. At the end of the day, it is the heart that matters. Because if you have the heart to do it right, you will tell your head to do it right and you will do it right. Talk is cheap. In fact, face to face talk is free. The uniformed authorities supposed to uphold the law will in the end tell you that they are afterall only humans. Unless there is a real Superman somewhere. There is no real Superman but you will find the likes of Bill Gates with super money power that can move almost anything. Or else you will have to sit quietly and wait for divine intervention which is no respector of time.
#9 by k1980 on Monday, 20 February 2012 - 3:02 pm
WELCOME to the world’s BEST(!!!) democraceeeee…
http://malaysiakini.com/news/189651
#10 by Cinapek on Tuesday, 21 February 2012 - 1:14 am
“… How can laws be enforced when the enforcers do not abide by them?….”
Absolutely! And you know why? It is a case of “monkey see, monkey do”. These low level officers are just aping their superiors who in turn also is following the examples of their bosses and this goes all the way to the top. When you see corruption running into hundreds of millions and even billions and they are being covered up, what is a teeny weeny violation of the law?