Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Let Pak Leh live out his remaining years in freedom
Malaysia’s longest serving prisoner Mohd Salleh Talib, who spent 30 years behind bars, was released two weeks ago and our newspapers have dedicated a significant amount of space and ink to tell his story. Indeed, it’s a story that tells readers that the human spirit, in this case blemished under the weight of youthful miscalculations, can be rehabilitated. Forgiveness is a noble human trait rarely exercised in the Malaysian penal system. But a man like Salleh, who found religion in prison and equally as important, his humanity, surely deserves his freedom back, after serving 30 years for armed robbery in which he hurt no one. He lost his youth in a moment of rashness and it is fitting that he be able to spend what is left of his life in the real world and taste the sweetness of freedom.
Newspapers have elevated him to a persona akin to a national hero. This perplexes me, as he surely does not deserve such an accolade. He even got an audience with Perak royalty upon his release. Salleh is a man, simply put, who can only put “bank robber” as his occupation in any official form. But we all love a happy ending and old man Salleh (also known as Pak Leh) feeds this need of ours. Natural life sentences are no longer meted out but the number of prisoners sentenced to serve multiple life sentences have increased in recent years. I believe this year alone there were several cases where convicted rapists-cum-murderers have been given multiple life sentences which effectively mean they will die behind bars despite any sentence reduction for good behaviour. I don’t believe any right-thinking Malaysians who may wholeheartedly agree to Salleh’s pardon, would have any pity for these repulsive monsters of today. There will be no pardons coming their way.
When Salleh committed armed robbery in 1976, Malaysia was still relatively untainted by heinous crimes such unprovoked murders, armed robberies, snatch thievery and rape. The Malaysia of today is seeing an increasing number of men losing their youths and sometimes, their whole lives behind iron bars and high walls. Armed robbery involving a payroll truck is not very uncommon nowadays; in 1976, it was an daring act and an affront to civil society, and Salleh paid a severe price. Perhaps we are all looking wistfully at simpler age long gone when we read about Pak Leh’s life story. It’s a fair bet that more accounts of how he is adjusting in the real world will be written in the coming months. ¶ 2:25 PM
Newspapers have elevated him to a persona akin to a national hero. This perplexes me, as he surely does not deserve such an accolade. He even got an audience with Perak royalty upon his release. Salleh is a man, simply put, who can only put “bank robber” as his occupation in any official form. But we all love a happy ending and old man Salleh (also known as Pak Leh) feeds this need of ours. Natural life sentences are no longer meted out but the number of prisoners sentenced to serve multiple life sentences have increased in recent years. I believe this year alone there were several cases where convicted rapists-cum-murderers have been given multiple life sentences which effectively mean they will die behind bars despite any sentence reduction for good behaviour. I don’t believe any right-thinking Malaysians who may wholeheartedly agree to Salleh’s pardon, would have any pity for these repulsive monsters of today. There will be no pardons coming their way.
When Salleh committed armed robbery in 1976, Malaysia was still relatively untainted by heinous crimes such unprovoked murders, armed robberies, snatch thievery and rape. The Malaysia of today is seeing an increasing number of men losing their youths and sometimes, their whole lives behind iron bars and high walls. Armed robbery involving a payroll truck is not very uncommon nowadays; in 1976, it was an daring act and an affront to civil society, and Salleh paid a severe price. Perhaps we are all looking wistfully at simpler age long gone when we read about Pak Leh’s life story. It’s a fair bet that more accounts of how he is adjusting in the real world will be written in the coming months. ¶ 2:25 PM
