While the rule of law and the authorities who enforce it exist to curb crimes, they cannot be on the watch 24/7, so it is reasonable for members of the public to be vigilant in looking out for each other sometimes.
However, this can be disastrous if people think taking matters into their own hands means doing whatever they like.
For example, this group of villagers in Kampung Pantai Mek Mas, Kota Bharu who violently attacked a man suspected of stealing a pet bird belonging to a villager.
In a video shared on the Facebook page, Inforoadblock, villagers damaged what is believed to be the suspect’s car. They used items such as a wooden rod to smash the car’s window.
Nearby the car, one man held down the suspect as 2 men beat him up – one swung at him with a metal rod and the other kicked him.
The pet bird is said to cost a whopping RM10,000.
Netizens have mixed reactions
In the comments, netizens share their thoughts on the incident and make mostly lighthearted remarks.
Some joked about how it would be funny if the bird was actually illegal, which means the authorities would have to apprehend its owner too.
“If the pet owner doesn’t have a license to rear the bird, that’d make this drama more interesting.”
“If this bird can’t be kept as a pet, the owner might go to jail.”
Addtionally, one netizen pointed out that the villagers were being too violent.
“This is so violent. Please take note of the case that happened at Ipoh; he got choked to death.”
But on the other hand, some netizens shared that they can be violent, but to just be careful about recording their actions as this could result in them being arrested too.
“The one who stole is wrong but the people who beat him up are also wrong. PDRM might go looking for all of you. If the suspect dies, all of you would have to go to Pengkalan Chepa for no good reason.”
Watch the full video below:
Video Part 1️⃣Tular di media sosial suspek kes curi burung dipukul penduduk setempat. Menurut ???? ??? ?????, nilai burung tersebut bernilai hampir RM10ribu. ?Kg Pantai Mek Mas Kota Bharu KelantanSumber ? – IRDK Respond Team*️⃣(burung ape eh harga 10k, min pun tak pasti ?)
Posted by Inforoadblock on Tuesday, September 20, 2022
Is so much violence really necessary?
Also read: Mentally Unstable Man Beaten Up in Kelantan Over Alleged Kidnapping of Children For Organ Harvesting
