Some of the inhabitants in Kampung Timpango and Tintap had occasions of losing rubber sheets in the third quarter of 2008. They suspected outsiders to be the culprits. When I asked them as to how many times they had made police reports pertaining to their lost, then they said that they were never reported. They further said that the thieves seemed to know the exact spots where their rubber sheets sheds were located. On hearing their own comments I purposely provoked them a bit by saying, “No wonder you all did not want to make any police reports because for fear of becoming a target of investigations”.
Some smart individuals among the kampong inhabitants cooked up an idea to padlock the Government road leading to their kampungs. A kampong meeting was convened but not all the kampong people who would be affected by the padlocking were invited. If ever I was invited, I thought, I would certainly have offered them my piece of mind. They had suspected my objection for I was not secretive about my feelings. I had purposely expressed my objections to anyone I met.
I was informed that the Ketua Kampung, the Chairman of the JKKK and the CDO, a political figure, of the area attended the meeting. These people must not have objected to the Kampung peoples’ demand. They were prompted therefore to think that what they were doing was right and in consonance with the law.
The padlocking of the main road, Babagon-Timpango Road, took effect at the start of September, 2008. Many people who had family ties with people further-up the padlocked areas were taken by surprise. All the people in the affected areas were given a key each for the padlock.
I was not given a key. In fact I was told that should I want a key then I had to see the Vice Chairman of the JKKK to get a key for RM20.00 and to be given a talking to before a key was given. This was purportedly so because I was known to oppose the padlocking idea.
If and when I had to get through the padlock anytime I needed to, I would dismantle the whole locking system and wait to be brought to the courts of law. The processes of law would enlighten everyone as to the misguided purported smart idea of padlocking a Government built road.
Ever since the padlocking, there hasn’t been heard of any stolen sheets! Could it be that the smart inhabitants who initiated the padlocking did so as a cover-up of some smart involvements in the whole affairs?
