Unwritten Law - But Practice

Following court cases, esp. the high profile cases, one is bound to find argument on point of law, etc. One also can follow arguments which, it seems to lead to nowhere. Or, one will feel that they are heading to other areas or looks like they are purposely avoiding the main issue.

It’s so different with one unwritten law that my friend encountered in South Kedah. It happened on one fine, cool, breezy evening. My friend was taking a lonely drive from Sungai Petani to Kulim taking the former palm oil estate road, which is now smooth, straight 2-lane road. Not busy, but neither deserted too. It’s a good scenario for an evening drive – to waste some fuel and to stretch the eyes on the greeneries. With a low volume radio on, the not so busy road, the greeneries, the kampong houses, the half naked boys in the fields, and the atmosphere, and all these are the recipe for a good evening leisure driving. When out of nearby bushes and so suddenly a small herd of cows ran across the road. And, with my friend’s mind still in leisure mode, he was a little bit slow on the reflec action to braking and stopping the tank-like Swedish made car.

A big bang followed. He hit a mother of a cow right in the mid section. The cow, big and fat, was thrown and laid on the road just a few feet in front of his smashed bonnet. The cow was not moving but still alive and in his path, and the engine stalled. So, there is no way of him leaving the scene in a rush. No chance of a quick get-away. All shaken up, but he had to stay put to face whatever the consequences of his action invites. In the corner of his eyes he could see some movement. And, he senses people are coming to him in all direction. On closer scrutiny he found that all are welding long knives – with silver coloured blades. All sharpened and ready to use.

The first man that arrive to his hard-to-open right door is a well build man – looks like the leader or the spokesperson. The man asked, so very politely : “How much are you asking for the cow? We are ready to slaughter it”. Still in shock, my friend replied that the cow is not his and he has no right to sell it. The villages explain that – the practice here is for the car owner to sell the cow to help him repair the damage car. The owner of the cow will not put up any claim that the cow is his to avoid the trouble of being fined by the authorities for letting the cow on the road and to avoid being responsible for repair of the damages of the car. The cow owner, could be among the villagers, but he will not say that the cow is his. And, nobody will say who is the owner of the cow.

Wow, what a relief. The law, unwritten, is on his side. My friend told the villagers that he will repair his car and the cow they could have it for free IF the real owner says so.