Singapore is a 'fine' country, Malaysia is a 'find' one

Singapore has been described before as a 'fine' city because if you are new and unfamiliar with their laws, you are likely to be fined for one thing or another: for chewing gums, smoking, jaywalking and many more actions, taken for granted by other nationals, especially those from less developed countries. It is more a different way of life. Even within a country like Malaysia, rules are more relaxed in the countryside as compared with the urban areas, like the use of safety helmets by motorcyclists.

In Malaysia, people are now forced to be more careful in many ways. The authorities will try to 'find' if you have broken any laws, like whether your Christian gathering has any Malay Muslims among them. They will find if you have any literature which could be harmful to Muslims in a form which could brainwash them to become Christians. Malaysians are much more insecure in this sense than Indonesia.

We have read about an American couple being checked to see if they were legally married, in a hotel room in Penang. Recently, in Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, the police even insisted on searching guests in a hotel room to see if they can find the illegal 'Bersih' T-shirts. We all know the searching of premises in other countries for drugs like heroin, but T-shirts! I am sure there are hundreds of those Tees with more offending drawings or descriptions everywhere. What a waste of precious police time diverted from serious duties.

Many instances of arrests by the authorities were based on police reports (obviously politically motivated) so that they can have the chance to find incriminating evidence of one offence or other of political opponents. We are more worried about evidence which could be planted to create one so that they could 'find' it!

So tourists in Malaysia, you do not need to find us, we will find you if we feel like it, even if you don't want us to.

Meanwhile, some Malaysians are having phobias of going out, in case the police find them in an illegal gathering (more than 4 is deemed as such); wearing yellow T-shirts, especially with the offending 'Bersih' word; with Muslims during meals if in a non-halal (similar to non-kosher) place, and definitely not in a church; giving a lift to a Muslim lady companion when driving alone; driving past midnight because to them police, unearthly hours are likely to find, criminals, drunkards and those with evil intentions; and so on. This reminds me of the joke about a Mr. William Poster. He refused to go out after having seen posters everywhere of 'Bill posters will be prosecuted!'

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