刡间故事

Now, 3:25AM, 11-August-2007. I don’t want to sleep because I must write this down while my memory still fresh on what happened 30 minutes ago.

After a mamak session with friends, I took the usual route to go home. I decided to take a short-cut as I usually do to skip all the annoying traffic lights. I bended into a road inside the small-medium factory area. The road is dark because of huge trees and broken street lights. At the end of the road, I saw a group of people standing over there and a few cars parking at roadside.

As I drive closer, I notice it is a group of hardworking policemen. They never set up the road block barrier, wearing jackets with Police Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) logo only. Of course with the fully-charge torch light too. I reached in front of the group and here start the action.

Police Officer A (Malay, Name Unknown) approaches towards me and flash his torch light on my face. At the same time, a few others “torch light” flashing around my car, my road-tax sticker and look inside my car. My first reflex in my mind, I speak this to myself “Hey, I am only ONE people!” . It is fine because my car has nothing illegal! After the silly flashing act, Police Officer A asks me to lower down my mirror. He wants to speak with me. As a good citizen, I always be as cooperative as I can, but I do stay alert. I checked my door switches are locked before I lower down my mirror.

Police Officer A: IC  mari. (Identity Card comes)
Me: Ya tapi apa hal? (Yes but what the matters?)
Police Officer A: Kami nak check IC awak. (We need to check your IC.)
Me: I tahu tapi apa yang sedang berlaku? (I know but what is going on?)
Police Officer A: Ada operasi. (Got operation)
Me: Ya, operasi apa? (Yes, what operation?) [Not to deny, I am very curious on what’s going on because they need my Identity card so I have to be sure what kind of operation that they are running]
Police Officer A: [Raise his voice, unhappy feeling] Dengar, OCJ, Operasi Cegah Jenayah (Listen, OCJ, Operation Deter/Prevent Crime)
Me: Ah. Ok. Saya boleh tunjuk IC tapi tak boleh bagi awak. (Ah. Okay. I can show my  Identity card but cannot give it to you) [Sue me for being a paranoid person, I am educated to be highly alert. Nobody get my Identity card unless I am in the police station!]
Police Officer A: [Raise to a louder tune] Turun kerata sekarang! (Get down from car now!)
Me: [Frighten and shout] Saya tak akan turun sehingga saya sampai balai polis! (I won’t get down until I reach the police station!) 

At this point of time, Police Officer A hands down to my car-door’s switch, pull it up! He attempted to open my door!I am getting very scare and frightening because a few people are circle in front of my car. I shouted with my very best for the rest of the conversation just to catch other’s people attention!! (I could not keep using my limited command of Malay language due to the situation, so I start to speak in English…) 

Me: Hey! Stop it! What I did wrong?!
Police Officer A: Buka pintu dan turun kereta! (Open the door and get down from car!)
Me: I will only get down when I am inside police station! You are not suppose to force me now!!
Police Officer A: Saya boleh tangkap awak jika awak tak kerjasama! (I can arrest you if you are not cooperative!)
Me: I say again! I will leave my car once I reach police station and I am going there now!
Police Officer A: Boleh pergi tapi turun kereta dulu! (Can go but get down from car first!) [You idiot! If I am going to police station, why I still have to get down now?]
Me: No! I don’t trust you at all. All of you wearing jackets only! Where is the uniform?!

Police Officer A is extremely unhappy. Now, another officer who looks more senior approaches us. The senior officer name Nathan. Nathan asked Police Officer A to leave. We start our conversation here.

Nathan: Hello uncle! Good morning! [Well, this folk speaks English. But… hey! I am uncle?!]
Me: Good morning Sir. How may I help you?
Nathan: We are running an operation here and we would like to seek your kind cooperation.
Me: Yes. I am trying to be cooperative but your colleague (Police Officer A) pulled up my door switch and attempted to open my car door. I am scared now! Very scared now!!
Nathan: Uncle, yes, I know about your feeling but we are having a operation to prevent crime. Lately, this area is surrounded by criminals. So we are here to protect you.
Me: Yes? You are protecting me by forcing me out from my car?
Nathan: Nooo! Uncle, let me do some clarifications on why we are doing this. Can you drive your car to the roadside?
Me: No. I am not going to move unless it is heading to the police station.

At this moment, another indian officer, who looks really black, stand besides Nathan and start flashing his torch light right into my face!

Me: [Shout out loud] Stop that! Stop the stupid light!! I hate that! I say stop it!!! [It definitely raise my fear to the max level!]
Nathan: Calm down, calm down. [Ask the indian flash-man go away]
Me: Hey, I don’t want to talk now. I want to lodge a report! I am very scare!!
Nathan: No sir, please don’t go. I haven’t finish. We are doing our job for your good.
Me: Yes. I know but not for me this time. It is enough for me. Can I go?
Nathan: No sir. We have the right to stop you and seek your cooperation.
Me: Yes! Since when I am not cooperative?
Nathan: You need me to show your my ID?
Me: No, no need. I can’t recognize anything!! [Textbook never teach how a police ID card looks like!!] 

Here, the Police Officer A comes back again.

Police Officer A: We can arrest you just because you refused to follow our instruction!
Me: Yes! Please arrest me! Please arrest me to the nearest police station!! PLEASE!!! [Yes. I purposely shout like a bastard. But who cares? I am alone, they are a group! Shout first die later!!]

Nathan pushes away the Police Officer A and resume our conversation.

Nathan: So, where you are going now?
Me: I want to leave!
Nathan: Yes but please give me your IC. I need to note down your name and IC number!
Me: No. I cannot give you. But I can show you!

Nathan shows a piece of paper written with a lot of names to me.

Nathan: See. This is a list that we get. Every people did the same. Can I have your IC?
Me: Yes. I hold it and show you!
Nathan: [Show very disappointed face] I need to copy your details.
Me: Yes. I allow it but I need to hold my own IC only!!

I hold my Identity card and flash it to Nathan TWICE just like the flash their torch light on me!

Nathan: …
Me: I am a Malaysian. See my IC!! [It is damn proud to be a Malaysian, not?!]
Nathan: Yes Yes… you may go now.
Me: Thank you!

I reach home safely. I don’t feel sleepy. I get khang on MSN and chatted about it. We feel it is a need to go to the police station, to do a verification regarding the roadblock. It is because they really looks suspicious without wearing formal uniform and never setup any barrier to do the operation.

We (khang and me) headed to the Kepong Police Station, explained my incident. After some minutes, it is verified that is really an operation going on but they lodged no report for me…

Please, if you read until this part. I believe you care about what is happening. Please do your best to tell your family, friend or anybody you know. Never get down from your car, never give your IC to anyone, never take any challenge from stranger (like the policemen above). It is a clear show on my incident. They cannot charge or arrest you because you are shouting or refused to get down from car!  I did my best to verify this issue at the nearest police station. I am a good citizen. I hopes you do the same if you encounters thing like this.

Last but not least, PDRM deserve a credit for working hard to prevent crimes!

But I give them a big thumbs down for being so rude and aggressive to the innocent!! Booooo!!!!!