Villagers fined for bus ride, cops say they had to enforce the law

 

Sabah police commissioner Hazani Ghazali today defended his officer's decision to issue RM1,000 fines on eight individuals who travelled together to buy food.

According to Free Malaysia Today, the eight - including an unlicensed private hire vehicle driver - were travelling on Jan 27 from an unnamed interior village to the Tenom town when they were issued the fines.

Hazani told reporters in Kota Kinabalu that the driver should have advised the villagers not to violate travel restrictions during the movement control order (MCO) period or offered to make more trips.

"I am sad because the driver should have advised (them about the rules) or offered to make two or three tips.

"So, when (people) were trying to be frugal or (the driver) was trying to make a profit, this happened. We are forced to enforce the rules," he said.

The police, he said, often used their discretion, adding that more fines would have been handed out if they had not done so.

Hazani also warned of strict enforcement of the laws against kereta sapu (unlicensed private hire vehicles) in the state.

According to Free Malaysia Today (FMT), which caught up with some of the villagers, they all boarded the vehicle, described as a "bus" with a 13-passenger capacity, to buy supplies in Tenom.

Driver Ruil Taligi said he originally didn't want to exceed the 50 percent passenger limit imposed during the movement control order (MCO) period but felt sorry for the villagers who needed to go to Tenom for supplies.

"Police told me I exceeded the load limit. I already told them (the passengers) but they still wanted to come on board, and I felt pity for them.

"I begged the police on duty at the roadblock to let us off with a warning or to just fine me alone and not the passengers, because they're poor people and only wanted to buy essentials.

"But the officer still instructed us to go to the district police headquarters," he said.

FMT is trying to contact the parties involved, including the police, for comment. - Mkini