Daily Lessons from Life 21-22 September 2010 - S'porean driver fined for attempting to bribe M'sian cop

"Wed, Sep 22, 2010 New Straits Times - S'porean driver fined for attempting to bribe M'sian cop

JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA - A Singaporean was sentenced to a day's jail and fined RM10,000 (S$4,300)for attempting to bribe a traffic policeman with RM50 (S$21). Bus driver Tay Soon Chuan, 42, pleaded guilty at the Sessions Court yesterday after the charge was read out to him in Mandarin.


Tay, who is from Hougang Avenue in Singapore, committed the offence at Km18.3 of the Lima Kedai- Nusajaya Highway on May 30."

I was trying to put up my blog and comment on the Delhi's footpath bridge collapsing hours after it was erected at the main stadium that will be hosting the Commonwealth Games but the system failed. So, just a quick catch up - The Games is a relic of the past and its relevance had been questioned by some of the participating nations. Maybe if this Games flopped badly, India would have done the favour for the rest of the ex-colonies of the fallen British Empire to conveniently and conclusive close the Games for good!! That will be nice!! :-)

Now on this closer to home incident. The lessons for me are:

1. the traffic police in our neighbouring nation does have a infamy to be open to facilitation fee for minor traffic offences. At the same time, the authorities understand the danger it posed when the law enforcement officials are not strictly carrying out the laws. So, there is always this tussle between to get 'paid in another form' vs. upholding the laws and enhancing transparency of public services. You try at your own perils!;

2. sometimes the traffic police get creative by setting up 'entrapment' by pretending to be asking for facilitation fee and when you ponied up, you are charged for attempting to bride the officials. So, you sometimes have to say loudly and record the conversations to show that there was entrapment! Of course, it will be hard to see the lights IF the policemen became very upset and emotional!;

3. Singaporeans are best advised to pay the fine and move on as taking responsibility for a traffic offense is alright. It is not a reflection of some other forms of criminal actions! Of course, the Malaysian authority had also made it easier for foreigners to pay traffic fine so as to eliminate or reduce the reluctance to pay the official fines and resort to facilitation money being offered to the traffic police officers!

May he had his day in the Malaysian jail and pay his fine and get his peace of mind soon!