Culture of impunity

0

“THERE, there is a place there.”

“No, we cannot park there.”

“Why?”

“You see the little sign on the wall? That space is reserved for the disabled.”

“What happens if you park there?”

“I don’t know. I suppose they would fine you. Anyway no one does it here.” Marvin, my friend, the driver of the car, is a recent immigrant to Vancouver and already he has learned the culture of the city.

“No one does it here.” That sentence sticks in my mind. I remember my experience in Kuching. There is a popular mall where the management has thoughtfully assigned four parking spaces just in front of the entrance for the disabled, choice places indeed. On the ground are emblazoned big disabled signs. I note that they are always full. One day I saw a very fit young man pull into one of the slots and I drew his attention to the sign. He merely shrugged his shoulders and walked off. I managed to collar a security guard and asked him what was he going to do about it. He too, just shrugged his shoulders.

I am a keen student of body language. I can tell you that there are different kinds of shrugs. The one by the security guard is more of  “What can I do?” – one of resignation. Whereas the young rule breaker’s was an arrogant “So what?” That episode captures neatly the situation in our society. Regarding breaking rules “some people just do it” as opposed to “no one does it”.

Think of all the motorists who selfishly occupy two parking spaces or motorcyclists who place their bikes bang in the middle of a parking space when they could have been positioned at the side to allow the space to be used by others. What about the shop proprietors who ‘reserve’ the space in front of their shops with dustbins and plastic chairs?

There are a few spots in Kuching, usually by a roundabout, where the city council has put up signs like, “NO HAWKING ALLOWED, HAWKING ITEMS WILL BE IMPOUNDED”. Yes, the words are in full capitals. Amazingly, every time I drive by those spots there are hawker vans selling whatever fruits are in season, right under the sign!

And don’t get me started with our driving habits – overtaking on double solid lines, cutting across lanes, turning without signalling, etc. The list of misdemeanours goes on and on ad nauseam.

At the moment we have a situation in Kuching involving the so-called Satok Uptown Market. Here some traders have taken to setting up weekend stalls at the car park of the city’s civic centre. At first it had the appearance of just a temporary occurrence but over time it seems to have taken root.

The thing is that the car park has been converted and re-designed for sports activities and is well patronised by young people of all races, kudos to the Social Development Ministry. Now with the presence of the weekend traders, the youth sports activities would have to be suspended. As the Social Development Minister Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom pointed out: “It has been well-patronised but the ‘Uptown Kuching’ makes the place messy. Let it remain as a sports centre not a trading place at night. During the weekend, young people who used to enjoy sports activities can no longer use the place. I called my officers to look into it and I will put a stop to other activities besides sports.”

Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, who is also the Satok assemblyman, also pitched it. He put it tersely to the traders, “Move if you’re asked to.”

DBKU (Kuching North City Commission), which has overall jurisdiction of the area, also denies having any association with the issuing of permits for the weekend market. With two senior Ministers and a City Commission urging the traders to desist their activities one would have thought that would be the end of the matter. But no, the last time I checked the traders are still there, blocking the access road every weekend. Well, talk about thumbing one’s nose at the rules.

All these goings-on is enough to drive me to go all Shakespearean. So here goes, “From whence doth this ill wind come from?” Yes, indeed, this litany of defiance that seems to have taken root in our society to create a generalised anti-social behaviour – a culture of impunity. How did it come about?

Perhaps an incident posted by a netizen goes some way to explain it. One Mr Ho reported how he noted a government department car parked at a disabled parking space at an airport. He asked the driver if he was disabled. The response was “no” and the driver went on to say that he was staying for a little while only. I suppose some sort of argument ensued. Mr Ho took a snapshot of the driver and the car but the driver was unmoved and dared him to post on social media.

I have heard of the expression “Fish rot from the head”. I take it to mean that leaders and captains of a nation are exemplars and that their actions will be aped by the general citizens. Well, enough said.