Old man fined for parking violation gets sympathy
GEORGE TOWN: A flood of sympathies went out to the elderly man who hobbled to the State Assembly building on his walking stick and scolded the government for a compound he got for parking on a yellow line.
On Nov 17, he went to Acheen Street to commission a tombstone for his mother-in-law who had just died.
With so few parking spaces in the heart of the city’s heritage enclave, he was dismayed to find he was issued a compound for his parking violation. So yesterday, the man in his 70s, stood outside the gates and ranted at the top of his lungs in English and Mandarin.
“I only wanted to arrange for my mother-in-law’s tombstone! That is not a busy road! Why can’t you let me park for a little while?” he said.
Followers of The Star Online’s Facebook came by the hundreds to offer their sympathies while also expressing their respect for parking laws.
“Please read his statement. It was a sad day for him and emotions got to him. He already said he was wrong and paid the fine,” wrote Facebook user Mohd Azhar Mohd Ali.
But while many were sympathetic, a large number bluntly declared that they felt that the senior citizen was out of place when venting his anger.
Commenter Wen Yi Ko was among those who could not tolerate the blunt comments and hit out with: “Breaking the rules is wrong but keyboard warriors using harsh words on this senior citizen just isn’t right.”
Because of the state’s land scarcity and dense population, Penang Island City Council issues about 40,000 parking compounds for various violations a month, one of the highest in the country.
Several named other busy roads in the city where they claimed that motorists could get away with offences while a few ranted that they have seen the Chief Minister’s car double-parked.
State executive councillor Phee Boon Poh stepped out to speak with the senior citizen and the old man gave him an earful:
“I don’t need your sympathy. I paid the fine. I admit I was wrong. But I came here to tell you all that you have no heart!”
The man told reporters later as he went back to his black Proton Wira that he settled the fine quickly and paid RM25 instead of RM50.
He said he tried to meet the person-in-charge at the council office in Komtar but was turned away.
“So, I come to the State Assembly but the guards would not let me in.
“I don’t want anything else. I just wanted to let them know they were too much,” he said.