Govt, society to blame for ‘basikal lajak’ deaths, says Siti Kasim

GEORGE TOWN – The government should answer for the deaths of the eight “basikal lajak” cyclists as it has failed to provide enough stimulus in its education policies or provide parks for children to play in, said lawyer Siti Kasim following calls from some quarters for the victims’ parents to shoulder the blame.

“I believe it is a combination of failures by society and governance in giving the right kind of education – for not providing enough stimulus and places for these children to release their energy into something more useful. 

“Why don’t our government build parks where the children can go to play to their heart’s desire? Just like in some countries, they have skateboarding parks for them to play in,” she said on her Facebook page last night.

She said the talk of charging the parents of the victims under the Child Act 2001 will prove to be an uphill battle for the prosecution to establish that the children were abandoned, neglected or even exposed to danger.

“The parents may have thought the children were safely in their beds and teenagers being teenagers, they do what they want even behind their parents’ back.

“We’ve heard of children getting into gangsterism, taking drugs, staying out in the wee hours to join their friends. Do we still blame the parents when what their children do is out of their knowledge or control?

“It is hard being a parent and if you are lucky, you will get a filial child. But not all parents are lucky to have the money nor resources to keep their children occupied.”

Siti was commenting on the discourse after Sam Ke Ting was sentenced by the Johor Baru High Court to six years’ jail and a fine of RM6,000 after she was found guilty of reckless driving causing the death of eight teenage cyclists in an incident five years ago.

The 27-year-old clerk, who was previously acquitted by the magistrates’ court, was also denied a stay of execution by judge Datuk Abu Bakar Katar for her jail term, and was taken into custody immediately after her sentence was meted. 

She was also disqualified from driving for three years and must serve another six months in jail if she fails to pay the fine. – The Vibes, April 16, 2022