M'sian Gives RM100 & Apology To Store Owner They Stole Pokémon Stickers From 20 Years Ago
It's never too late to do the right thing.
By Wayne Garreth — 25 Aug 2023, 12:26 PM
Making mistakes are part and parcel of life. But if there's one thing many people ought to remember, is that it's never too late to do the right thing.
In an article published by Chinese media publication Sin Chew Daily, one pharmaceutical store owner was touched after a customer who stole 100 20-cent Pokémon stickers from her shop 20 years ago sent an apology letter and RM100 as compensation for their misdeed.
The incident, which happened at Ampang Ren Ann Enterprise pharmacy in Ipoh, Perak, was stated to have taken place in the 1990s when the unidentified customer was eight years old. Feeling guilty for their misdeeds, the thief, who is estimated to be in their 30s by now, expressed their regret and guilt in the letter.
"At the time, I was foolish to steal the stickers, and I am truly sorry for that. I am not sure how much I took but it was more or less 100 pieces. Therefore, from the bottom of my heart, I sincerely apologise for my foolish act and hope this will settle the amount taken. Again, I am sorry, please accept my sincere apology," read the letter.
The proprietor of the store, who has been running it for over 30 years, expressed how happy she was to receive the apology letter
Recalling back to the 1990s, the store owner, whose name is Liang Li Zhen, stated that she took care of the shop by herself and did sell stationery, including Pokémon stickers. However, she told Sin Chew Daily that she was unaware of these stickers being stolen at the time, with the letter and apology coming as a surprise.
Liang also stated that she was filled with joy when she received the letter and money, simply because it displayed how sorry the customer was for their wrongdoing. She also stated that the customer paid back more than what they owed, as the stickers they stole were only worth RM20.
"If someone comes to my store and gives me RM100, I will not accept the money, but I will accept their heart. The RM100 is not significant; what is significant is that they have a repentant heart," she said to Sin Chew Daily.
Liang stated that she has no intention of spending the RM100, and will instead frame the letter and banknote to teach future generations to not make the same mistake
Click here to read the story on Sin Chew Daily.
This former employee who stole money from a store he once worked at paid back his dues and apologised to his employer for the misdeed:
