Faced with uncompromising cops, fined villagers find compassion elsewhere

 

It was a tale of two approaches to policing when the Sabah cops were uncompromising in issuing fines against poor rural villagers for boarding a van at a capacity beyond what is allowed during the movement control order (MCO).

This was in stark contrast to an incident last month where the Petaling Jaya police went out of their way to help a mother who was caught shoplifting.

The PJ police dug deeper after finding out what was stolen - food and fever remedy - and got help for her family. She was let off with a warning.

The eight villagers from Sabah's interior district who had to travel a long distance to Tenom for essential supplies did not find the same compassion from the police.

However, compassion was abundant elsewhere.

After their plight was made known, Sabah-based charity Beluran Hope organised a donation drive to help the villagers settle the fines.

"As someone who focuses on helping poor rural folks and is in constant contact with them, I can understand the lack of access to essential goods and the difficulties in finding transport to the nearest town," Beluran Hope founder Norfadzlina Ramsah told Malaysiakini.

"RM1,000 is a huge sum to a villager. It's enough for a month's worth of groceries. This prompted me to want to help them," the 40-year-old activist added.

Just as Norfadzlina, better known as "Lina Klasik" on Twitter, hit the target of RM8,000 in donations which she organised online, help also came from Warisan's Melalap assemblyperson Peter Anthony.

Anthony helped to pay off the RM8,000 fines against the villagers.

Norfadzlina said she will now use the crowd-funded money to provide aid to the villagers.

She noted that the RM100 food baskets provided by the government during the MCO were insufficient.

"If the government can't increase the aid then they should allow NGOs to move around to provide aid.

"At the moment, NGOs are facing constraints from the government to distribute aid," she said.

The second MCO came into force on Jan 13 and have been extended until Feb 18.

Under the MCO, inter-district travel is banned. Public transport must also operate at 50 percent capacity. - Mkini