Things are very different in this part of The Island. Also, there is a distinct reason I no longer venture out passed sunset; I'm a magnet for shitty situations that often lead to trouble. Okay, so I was convinced last week to visit the local casino over the weekend. Not only did I want to avoid going out but I didn't want to get drunk either. However, in the name of letting my work colleagues know that I'm not afraid of the dark I did in fact join them out on the town. Not one to gamble or pay stupid amounts of money for beer (which I get tax free at work, where I conveniently live) I didn't really enjoy myself at first. Watching people piss away hundreds of dollars on poker machines and thousands on the tables I didn't really understand what I was even doing there. So after a three beers and a cup of coffee I decided to stop drinking, though my body still needed to visit the bathroom regularly. For most of the night I was walking to and from the toilets without any trouble, that was until around midnight security guards stopped me from re-entering the gaming area for being "drunk". My colleagues were inside and for some odd reason I didn't have my phone on me so I had to wait until they decided to leave, which was thankfully sooner than I expected. Then while they were lingering in the lobby for some unknown reason I decided to visit a nearby side-bar just outside the gaming area to grab a beer, mostly to be a defiant twat. At this point I was angry, insulted and bored. So I carried the beer back into the lobby and that's when security swarmed, reminding me that I'd been "cut off" and that I couldn't drink. The only option left was to skull the beer in less than 3 seconds, flip them all off, yell some kind of random obscenity and leave the casino.
The situation didn't take too long for me to get over, by the time we were back on the street and walking back to the car I'd mostly let my frustrations go. That was until out-of-nowhere a bunch of police officers literally grabbed me by my hands and pulled me across the street where they were conducting random drug searches. Considering my line of work and standing in the community and the complete unprovoked aggression from this group of officers I let loose on a torrent of questions. Knowing my rights and knowing I can say anything that isn't threatening or laced with profanity I just wouldn't shut up. As soon as they realised who I actually was they calmed down and just let me talk until I ran out of steam. After a brief pat down they handed me back my possessions and apologised the best they could without admitting guilt or wrongdoing, and in turn I apologised for sounding like a douche and making their job hard, though maybe suggesting next time they ask my permission to touch, detain and/or search me. Oh, if only it ended there. A few minutes later I was sitting in front of my car awaiting the return of my colleagues when a very large number of police officers walked passed me as if they were about to stop or start a riot. And for some reason I couldn't shut my mouth; accusing them of aggressive tactics, questioning what this country had come to when innocent people are simply man handled and searched at random and commenting on how redundant their actions were.
Eventually one of the officers from the group jumped right in my face and told me to "shut the fuck up!" By now I had a witness sitting next to me, so he thought best or whatever it was he wanted to do and moved on. That didn't stop two cops behind him from coming up to me and explaining what is was they were actually doing. Again, I accused the officers of being aggressive and treating people like criminals for being out on a Saturday night. At this point noone could have shut me up. Even in my own head I was trying so very hard to stop myself from swearing or saying anything threatening. They then demanded ID and again changed their tone once they realised who I worked for and what it was I did for a living. Once they calmed down, I calmed down. Then I explained to them that I was from a state where the police needed reasonably grounds to a) search someone and b) touch and/or detain them. And walking down the street with friends just minding your own business was not grounds for such aggressive behaviour by law enforcers. They reminded me I was no longer in that state and the business is conducted very differently here. They then suggested I not get arrested so close to my birthday. It should go without saying that a colleague promptly drove me out of the city and back home.
The situation didn't take too long for me to get over, by the time we were back on the street and walking back to the car I'd mostly let my frustrations go. That was until out-of-nowhere a bunch of police officers literally grabbed me by my hands and pulled me across the street where they were conducting random drug searches. Considering my line of work and standing in the community and the complete unprovoked aggression from this group of officers I let loose on a torrent of questions. Knowing my rights and knowing I can say anything that isn't threatening or laced with profanity I just wouldn't shut up. As soon as they realised who I actually was they calmed down and just let me talk until I ran out of steam. After a brief pat down they handed me back my possessions and apologised the best they could without admitting guilt or wrongdoing, and in turn I apologised for sounding like a douche and making their job hard, though maybe suggesting next time they ask my permission to touch, detain and/or search me. Oh, if only it ended there. A few minutes later I was sitting in front of my car awaiting the return of my colleagues when a very large number of police officers walked passed me as if they were about to stop or start a riot. And for some reason I couldn't shut my mouth; accusing them of aggressive tactics, questioning what this country had come to when innocent people are simply man handled and searched at random and commenting on how redundant their actions were.
Eventually one of the officers from the group jumped right in my face and told me to "shut the fuck up!" By now I had a witness sitting next to me, so he thought best or whatever it was he wanted to do and moved on. That didn't stop two cops behind him from coming up to me and explaining what is was they were actually doing. Again, I accused the officers of being aggressive and treating people like criminals for being out on a Saturday night. At this point noone could have shut me up. Even in my own head I was trying so very hard to stop myself from swearing or saying anything threatening. They then demanded ID and again changed their tone once they realised who I worked for and what it was I did for a living. Once they calmed down, I calmed down. Then I explained to them that I was from a state where the police needed reasonably grounds to a) search someone and b) touch and/or detain them. And walking down the street with friends just minding your own business was not grounds for such aggressive behaviour by law enforcers. They reminded me I was no longer in that state and the business is conducted very differently here. They then suggested I not get arrested so close to my birthday. It should go without saying that a colleague promptly drove me out of the city and back home.
7 valid opinions:
Seems like there are an awful lot of policemen on the streets up there. Either they know something you don't or they have nothing better to do. Do you think the security guys might have tipped them off when you left?
It does seem like that by the way I wrote this but nah, its highly unlikely since many, many people were being picked off the street at random. I just should've stayed home that night.
It's situations like this that make me glad I'm a misanthrope. That said, I need to pass around a certain redbook - it tells you what you can and can't do in case you're arrested here in Malaysia.
That's what you get, brownskin.
@Anu: Imma just stay away from Malaya and all its terrorist cells!
@Chandi: Shush your mouth, smoothskin!
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