A Bao Thief

 I was a teacher of Sixth Form in the Methodist School, Sibu for several years. As a General Paper teacher I was an instructor for Critical Thinking.

One of our normal lessons would be to study the latest news reported by the papers. A memorable lesson was when I presented two court cases to my class. The Borneo Post reported a case of an Iban man, a father and a husbad, who stole a bao from a stall. The stasll owner had run after him, caught him and brought him to the Police Station nearby. He was charged and brought to justice. Theft is a severe crime according to the Penal Code. He has properly charged and sentenced to 6 months jail. No one stood bail for him because he was a visiting Iban man who came to Sibu to admit his wife to the Lau King Howe Hospital and he had no cash to hire a lawyer.

Questions asked by the students - So who would pay for his wife's hospital fees? Who would after the daughter? With his jail record, how could he get a proper job later. The students asked good questions. However, there was another newspaper cutting to further the discussion.

A bus driver was charged with causing the death of a girl student who was cycling along the Lanang Road. It was argued that it was her fault for endangering her own life because she was carrying an umbrella (using an umbrella) when cycling.

The driver, got off with one year's endorsement of  his driving licence. He had a good lawyer.

Most of my students enjoyed the discussion but I left them with a strong impression of life's hard knocks and inexplicable situations and results.

As for myself, each time I eat a bao, which I legally buy from a stall, I think of that special man who stole for his family.

 May God bless people who are hungry. 

Sad to say, we continue to live among THIEVES.