YOURSAY | ‘She should be given some ‘American pies’ to overcome her dire situation.’
'I could only think of my child's hunger, so I stole meat to cook rendang'
Fairplayer: I personally believe most hardcore poor people steal because they are desperate. The above case is just one of many desperate poor who resort to stealing.
Don't be mistaken, I don't condone stealing. These ‘thieves’ need financial help and social welfare. Where are all the rich and kind and caring Malaysians?
The government must conduct a survey of poor households to help the needy among all ethnic groups in Malaysia. Poverty is colour-blind.
Cogito Ergo Sum: While ‘Les Miserables’ was fiction, this is real life in modern Malaysia. Sometimes, the spirit of the law must be observed more than the letter of the law.
How many thousand others are there like Nor Farina Che Ya? Here is a good magistrate who will make a great judge one day, hopefully soon.
Legit: Many poor people cannot afford a decent meal and are not able to provide a decent living for their families.
Our so-called leaders thump their chest saying Malaysia is wealthy and nobody dies of hunger. This is because they are out of touch with reality.
Ttc: She (Nor Farina) should be given some ‘American pies’. Just a little bit and she will overcome her dire situation.
Anonymous 2336891439170985: While stealing under whatever situation is a crime, it is good that this magistrate (Rahimah Rahim) had tempered justice with mercy.
Anonymous_40bb: Look here, this story is about a woman stealing out of hunger for herself and her child.
This country does not yet have a comprehensive welfare system, let alone aid for single mothers so a halfway house should be able to help them.
Even a foreign worker can earn more than RM1,000 per month. So there is no excuse for stealing.
She should be given aid for six months till she gets a job and has the ability to put her child through school.
Anonymous 2336891439170985: Anonymous_40bb, she is diabetic with a sick child. Who would want to employ a sickly person with a sick child? Would you?
Think of the many medical leave this single mother would be applying for whenever either one of them falls ill.
Are you implying that she is too lazy to work for a living? Collecting paper boxes to sell for a living proves that she isn't the lazy type. It is hard work and requires plenty of stamina and energy.
It is unfair for anyone to infer that she is worse than a foreign worker without knowing her health status and also the level of education attained.
It is easy to sit behind a laptop and pass judgement on the less unfortunate without first knowing the facts.
Goldee: It’s a good judgment by the magistrate not to convict Nor Farina. How can the charge be so severe for such a minor offence - 10 years’ prison, fine and whipping?
The magistrate had basically applied the syariah law. To the best of my understanding, in syariah law it’s not an offence to steal if the person and her family are hungry and have no other means other than to steal to feed oneself and one’s family.
JD Lovrenciear: While unethical businessmen and greedy politicians steal and abscond by tens of thousands of ringgit, we have a nation with people not able to eat and clothe themselves.
And the law is quick to act on these poor helpless citizens. Welcome to a land we fondly brand as 'Malaysia Boleh'.
Rocky: Although I understand that she did what she did was for her child (it hurts to see a hungry child), there is a small voice inside of me saying, "This is what they voted for."
For those who insisted that she could have been in a better situation if she had looked for a job, there is this dilemma - how much would a babysitter cost? And worse still, a sick child. I don't think she would have earned enough to cover the cost.
Anonymous_1372741039: Oh Malaysians, what has happened to us all? Have we been reduced to caring only for ourselves and not of those who cry silently for want of food?
Malayans before independence displayed more compassion for our sisters and brothers regardless of our faith and religious beliefs. What about the government, are they not supposed to look after the poor and destitute?
Malaysians should gather together and look at the plight of those in need of aid. Charity begins by caring for others less fortunate. Forget race and religion, and for the love of God let us do something.
Jaded: The real crime is that given the bounty we have in Malaysia, people have to steal basic necessities.
The real crime is that despite accusations of embezzling not millions but billions, a top leader continues to defy pressure and stays on.
Boeyks: Remember a chief minister who said that nobody is hungry in Bolehland and 29 days are not sufficient to celebrate Hari Raya merry-making.
Who is he referring to? Definitely not to this single mother.
Anonymous 2362021442199789: This is what poverty means. It is not about 'dying of hunger' and not about being 'unable to hold Raya open house'. It is about a desperate single mother's desire to put food on the table for her children.
I hope that our greedy, self-serving politicians who are enriching themselves at the expense of their fellow Malaysians will be able to look in the mirror and see themselves for what they are.
You know who you are although you will continue to claim that you don't. It is called 'conscience'.
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