Have you ever been faced with a situation where a loaded pistol is being pointed at your head by a police officer? And you are just a twenty year old bachelor who have just completed your Senior Cambridge examination and now have just been recruited as a young government staff, serving in a remote district, say Simunjan. hink about that for a while and read further what happen next to me...It was in 1973, my first year in Simunjan. That night I stayed with my friends in a government quarters closed to Sadong river (That quarters now gone, swept away by the great Sadong river). During that time security was still a problem due to communist insurgency. We sat at the stairs, talking, instead of attending film show because the film shhown was not to our liking.
Five metres from our quarters is a concrete pathway leading to the bazaar. The pathway passed our quarters to river bank, Police satation and than to Kampung Sabun. A few men passed through the road. Suddenly one of the men said something, we could not hear what was being said so I went toward the group to find out. Out of the blue, a stout, five ft tall man came and shouted at me in Malay,
"Hei..Nak matikah!!!" at tyhe same time took a pistol from his jacket and pointed the weapon to me. I was totally panic and almost collapse. I put both hand to my head waiting for the sound of that pistol to vomit the bullet. In my head, I said, this is the end of me.
Suddenly two other man held back the one who pointed the gun to me and said something. I could not recall what was said but I can hear them telling me to go back to the quarters. I rushed back, feeling totally down and scared.
It was the Police chief of the district who pointed the pistol at me, an inspector. I was given to understand that night he was quite drunk. Whether he really wanted to shoot me or not, I do not know. Only he himself and God knows. But the behavior of the officer was quite well-known in the district. Every night he could be seen at one the coffeeshop in the bazaar having yamseng with the chinese towkey.
Ok that's not the last time the incident happened. AS few month later, Simunjan bazaar were celebrating one of the official functions (could not recall what celebration was all about). Anyway, our organisation were involved in the celebration. It was raining heavily. I did not go to the town that night due to heavy rain. That night one of my collegues were being pointed a gun on his head by the same officer, just like me, but worst, it happened in front of so many people. He was really embarrassed.
The next day my colleague reported the matter in writing, to various authorities of the state. The moved taken by my colleague really worried the officer. To cut the story short, that police officer came to our organisation a few days later to apologise to my colleague after receiving the copy of the letter written by my colleague. He apologised to me and one other staff too.
That's part of the bitter experiences of life I could recall. After so many years has gone the incident that night still left in my mind. I do not seem to fear him after the apology. But it is still in my mind and I kept asking myself, how could such an act gone unpunished?
After many years that officer were transferred to Kuching and got promoted. One day I read something about the officer in the paper. He got himself into trouble with something that I need not mention. He deserted the force. I do not know what happen after that but I am sure a deserter would definitely face the law.
Lesson from the story, please don't point your pistol anyhow especially to a peace-loving citizen or you may end up being sad for the remains of your life.
Cheers.
