How many of us know of this case?
A poor 64 year old diabetic sickly man hungry and penniless, resorted to stealing canned food and drink packets amounting to RM99.62 from The Store at Plaza Pudu.
Caught by the security guard, he confessed to not having any money to pay for such goods. Arrested and brought to court where Magistrate Mohd Azali Ibrahim sentenced the poor old man to 10 days in jail!
If the magistrate had any compassion in his heart or any realization of the true system of justice in Islam no matter that he was there presiding in a secular civil magistrate’s court, he would not have sentenced the poor sickly hungry old man to spend 10 days in prison?
Instead, he ought to have ordered the old man to be given aid by the Social Welfare Department and advised the 64 year old poor diabetic not to resort to stealing in the future and instead seen to it that the old man is given assistance by the relevant authorities.
Looks like compassion is simply not present in our not so civil courts.
No wonder crime is on the rise and people are getting more brutal by the day.
If not for the Malay Mail, this case would have simply disappeared into the growing world of ignorance and apathy that is fast taking place in this nation if not the whole wide world.
Guess, they don’t instill that ever important sense and aspect of showing mercy and compassion in law school, eh?
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Agreed. is is wrong for the courts to temper mercy with justice? But on another note, why was the Store so heartless. they could have gained good PR by not proceeding with making a police report. They could have just donated some provisions to last the man for three months. or hire him to do suitable work at the Store, maybe taking care of the parking lot or as a cleaner.