Parents Of 'Basikal Lajak' Victims Find Relief In Court's Ruling Against Female Driver
The parents of the victims said they are glad that the children finally received the justice they deserved.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 14 Apr 2022, 10:54 AM
The families of teenage victims in the 'basikal lajak' (modified bicycle) incident that happened five years ago have expressed their gratitude and relief over the High Court's ruling yesterday, 13 April
According to Bernama, the parents of the victims are happy that the children finally received the justice they deserved.
Speaking to reporters when met at her house in Senibong, Johor Bahru, Sabariah Yusof — mother of 16-year-old Azhar Amir who died in the incident — said she still imagines her son being at home.
"When I wake up in the morning, I feel like waking him up to go to school, imagining that he was still there. I also did not move the bed he used to sleep in, leaving it as it was," the 54-year-old mother lamented.
"I was devastated before this when the woman involved in the crash was released. I didn't know that today (13 April) she would be sentenced. I feel very grateful that justice has been served. It is a feeling that is indescribable."
"However, I accept my son's death as fated."
When asked about her thoughts on the members of the public's comments on the incident, the mother of 10 said she did not want to read negative comments on the matter
She related that the incident has caused her emotional distress because most people blamed the parents for the tragedy.
"I understand that there are some parties who blame the family members of the victims, but to be honest, I handed over the matter to the court," Utusan Malaysia quoted her as saying.
"Let the court decide which party is guilty in this incident, they are more knowledgeable in legal matters than us."
She added that her other children did not allow her to read comments on the matter, especially on social media.
Sabariah said Azhar was her eighth child, whom she described a good son as he often helped her sell pudding from stall to stall
"I feel miserable when people condemned him as he was a very good son and very close to me," Bernama reported her as saying.
"He seldom rode the bicycle as he would help me sell pudding every night at nearby stalls. On that fateful day, he had come home, left the house, and got involved in the fatal crash."
The mother described the punishment against driver Sam Ke Ting as "appropriate" and hopes that the incident can serve as a lesson to drivers to be more careful on the road, reported Utusan Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Salman Ahmed — father of 20-year-old Muhamad Arif who survived the crash — revealed that his son experiences emotional trauma due to the incident
The 56-year-old father told Bernama that his youngest son — then 15 years old — suffered serious injuries and a concussion from the incident.
Now, he suffers from trauma every time he sees a bicycle. He hardly went out after sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
"He can't look at bicycles, talk about the incident, or even look at the pictures (of the crash). It would stress him out and he would not be able to sleep. It is a relief (the woman) was sentenced. I can never forget the incident for as long as I live," Salman said.
The father-of-three shared that his son has been working at a factory in Masai Lama for the past two years.
Sam, who is the 27-year-old defendant in the case, was sentenced to six years in jail and fined RM6,000 for reckless driving that caused the deaths of eight teenagers on 18 February 2017
Her lawyer, Faizal Mokhtar, appealed for a stay of execution yesterday as he would be appealing the decision at the Court of Appeal.
But Johor Bahru High Court Judge Abu Bakar Katar denied the request and ordered Sam to begin her sentence immediately.
Speaking to Free Malaysia Today after the ruling on Wednesday, Faizal asked the public to pray for Sam and him so that he could present the case well in the Court of Appeal.
"We have had discussions to appeal against the court's decision. Hopefully, I can prepare the documents today (13 April) and file the appeal tomorrow (14 April)," the lawyer said.
Prior to the proceeding yesterday, Sam was acquitted in the case by the magistrates' court in October 2019.
However, she was ordered to enter defence in February 2021 by the Johor Bahru High Court. But the magistrates' court acquitted her again in October 2021.
Following that, the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) filed an appeal against the court's decision, which led to the latest six years' jail sentence on Wednesday.
