ROTFL!! Exactly! Back to topic... Seriously, what would you have done if you were subjected to the same treatment?
Uh... If I gotta chance I want to become a police. But just look at my physique. Being a police doesn't work for me. I'm too weak for running long and even holding guns, let alone withstanding loud noises continously. If I'm tougher, and meet the requirements maybe. I heard some folks in M'sia buy police uniforms with all the rankings pasted onto 'em. They're so disgusting to do that for me. I rather earn the rankings by my own sweat. In other countries, especially the Western counterparts, the police there are well respected and they are proud of their criminal-busting jobs. I watched the World Wildest Police Videos and Now See This and I'm very amazed how the police force there work. Oooooh.
Did they show the ugly part as well? If that were to happen to me... I think I will really think of moving elsewhere... to another country. I mean all these have been going on for way too long and has anyone. been able to do anything about it? No! Dont tell me I am not patriotic and dont love my country bulls!it. Just tell me, what is there to love?
ROTFL!! They will just tell you to leave. But really... if we are treated like second-class citizens, do we even owe this country any allegiance... In any case, second class or not, we deserve to be treated like human beings. INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.
I love my country very much. How? Easy. I throw the rubbish in the dustbin. I use the public phone properly. I help others without expecting someone else's reward. I smiled at others. See -> This is loving your country. Not like one who put flags and cover the car with flags or sing our favourite patriotic music and then dump the rubbish on the roads after reherasing in the National Day eve. Or talking bad about other countries without looking at themselves first. Being patriotic is NOT just showing all these I've mentioned above. It must be true to one's heart. I love my country very much again. I know there's nothing we can do about all that problems we are now facing, but let us pray so that they will realize their mistakes.
Yeah. And I've seen that most folks in my place have an extremely unpleasent disrespect towards the Sanitation Workers (even educated ones will tell their kids, 'Stinky Rubbish Man')... and the Policeman. Why do this happen? I don't know why, but I guess these rich folks there ACTUALLY haven't cleared up the dustbin by themselves. They used a tool, which is a servant to do all that. I always clear the dustbin and smiled at the sanitation workers. I don't want to label them 'Stinky' or 'Stupid'. What will happen when they (sanitation workers) strike? Surely, we'll be living in a mountain of garbage within one week.... What do you think?
I agree with that. No matter how dirty sanitation-related jobs are, they are still jobs critical to the normal functioning of society. We should respect them for their courage to handle our dirty business. But coming back to the police... corruption and brutality is definitely NOT what we pay them for. If they are doing this to us, who can we count on to protect us? We already have enough criminals. We certainly don't need government-approved criminals.
Well, this world is not perfect, y'see? Our police force are underpaid and overworked(?). So maybe they spend time picking at the wrong victims which are not offenders. Is that true?
[warning: Idealistic thoughts below!] I must disagree. A defeatist attitude will not lead to improvement. An optimistic one might. Am I, perhaps, young and naïve in believing that change will happen? Probably, but I think I'll take that over unflappable cynicism. I believe it is possible to change the problems, but as with so many other struggles, it starts at the level of the individual. Something like throwing your trash in bins and having some respect for public amenities is a good start. To simply follow the ignorant masses and do as the fools do will simply lead to more of the same. The problem with corruption in the police for, I believe, is largely because the country on the whole (and by this I mean the burden of responsibility lies not only with the corrupted policemen, but with the whole system that allows them to do as they do - right down to the ordinary person on the street), has allowed them to get away with it. Everytime someone pays off a cop to avoid a speeding ticket, he is only exacerbating the problem. Everytime someone bows and accepts an injustice, the problem gets worse. This issue reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend recently about the very blog referenced in the first post. My friend had taken the attitude that nothing will ever change and the common man can do little to abate the problem. I then mentioned the issue of police corruption and asked him whether he had ever paid off a cop. 'Yes!' the answer was...that disappointed me greatly. When asked why he paid the cop off he gave various reasons, such as not wanting his parents to find out that he had been speeding, it was cheaper than paying the fine, etc. Now, with an attitude like that how the hell can things ever change? How is it that the culture of corruption that has infected so much of the country has also taught many of us to 'settle' things; to shirk our responsibilities. Hey, here's a thought: If you get caught speeding, pay the fine! Maybe if we can get the enforcement of the laws working the way they should, the problem would be reduced. I have spoken to many people who have nonchalantly told me how they bribed someone to get their driving licenses, giving excuses that the testers would have failed them automatically if the bribes had not been paid. Funny, neither myself nor anyone in my family had to pass any money under the table to get our driving licenses. A lot of this rubbish happens, because we want to believe/have been conditioned to believe that there is no other alternative. Maybe I should stop here before this post gets really long? Perhaps I shall continue my ranting at some later time...
Yeah, must admit that they are underpaid... especially the soldiers in our armed forces. But still, it's really no excuse for them to "extort" extra money.
Yeah, do continue, AAY!! In any case, I've been doing my utmost best to avoid paying off any dirty cops. Even though they gave me hell for not paying them, I persisted in not paying them.
An observation I have noticed with a number of policemen is they do what they do, because no one really questions their actions. Too often, we have been trained to be subservient and we only question their actions after the fact. One thing that must be stressed is that the police force enforces the law, and is not above it. In my experience (yeah, I've been grilled by a cop once...long story), and in the experiences related to me, I have seen that the all-powerful bullying policeman can suddenly show fear and/or turn downright nice if their (wrongful) actions are questioned. A lot of it, I suppose, hinges on your ability to know the game - remember that phrase in school berani kerana benar (translation: eh, brain's not working to well now...something about the truth and bravery)? If you're right, and you make sure the cop knows that you know you're right and he's wrong, you might just have turned the odds in your favour. Granted, this might not always work - but it can be played to your advantage.
AAY, you are very correct. We cannot afford to have the defeatist attitude. It's hard to live in the world with this defeatist attitude, y'know?
My friend had once been confronted by the police before when we drove up to Penang. We were in two cars and lost track of one. Apparently he was pulled over by the police for stopping in a yellow box. Let just say we were more than shocked when he told us later that a police pulled a gun and pointed it at him IMMEDIATELY for that offence! Everyone in his car were stunned and the two officers even dared asked for a bribe. Long story short, they didnt budge and got off without even a summon. That's the bloody police workforce for you.
