Talk about crime in Brunei. I would say we have thefts every other day. Someone high on drugs and gambling somewhere in the country as we speak. Cigarettes and alcohol making their ways into the country through the daily mousetrail express. The Covid-19 pandemic had forced prostitourists otherwise daily activities to go on a hiatus. One or two people murdered each year. One child abuse case every other year. Occasionally, we got vandalism, corruption, extortion, assault and arson cases. Kidnapping and rape happening once in a blue moon. Then we have molestation cases which are disturbingly more frequent than one thinks.

In 2004, a man managed to pull off a hat trick by committing 3 types of crimes all in one day. 38-year-old A was at a low point of his life. His second wife just left him and his first wife was asking for a divorce. His job as a gas cylinder distributor did not pay enough to support his four children, let alone pay the bills. He tried to look for a better job, but no luck. Probably, having “ex-convict” in his CV contributed to this.

A is a habitual thief and drug user. He had been thrown into prison not just once but many times. The first time was in 1991 when he was 25 years old. He would then be in and out of prison until 2002. It was rather obvious that his time in prison didn’t really do much to rehabilitate him and it didn’t take a psychic to predict that he would do crime again. So, with a shitty job, an empty wallet and a marriage that was falling apart, what did he do? He turned to his confidant cum his shrink, Mr Syabu. But, Mr Syabu’s service came with a cost and for this A turned to his old friend, Mr Theft.

At around 5.45am on 11 August 2004, A, who was high on Syabu, began his crimeventure. He loitered at the Bandar area and had his eyes on a parked Nissan Sunny car which he then stole. He then drove to the Kiarong Complex area. There he scanned through for things to steal. He saw bundles of newspapers outside of a shop and snatched some of them. From Kiarong he went to the Jame’ Asr Mosque area and drove along the back road, the Jalan Kiulap that is leading towards RIPAS, prowling. By then it was already 6.45am. People were already out and about, sending their kids to school and going to work. As he drove closer to RIPAS, he came across a food stall with some customer traffic. He saw an opportunity there and decided to stop and park by the roadside, observing. In a matter of minutes, the normal hustle and bustle of Jalan Kiulap would be shattered and a family’s life would change forever.

A woman was screaming frantically.  She had left her car with the engine running by the roadside to go buy something at the food stall. When she came back, her car was gone. Her 5-year-old daughter was in the car. Yikes!

A is a thief not a kidnapper. He didn’t set off that morning to snatch anyone’s kid. But, an unattended car with its engine running presented to him on a platter, was too much temptation to him, eventhough he fully realised that there was a kid inside. His Syabu-polluted judgment got the better of him and he decided to drive off with the lady’s car.

The public was shocked to learn about the incident. Many were left speechless. Never in a million years did anyone expect happening in this country, an unattended child just feets away, would be at risk of being snatched. Well, nothing is unexpected when there are drugs involved. Drug addicts could do unthinkable things. The drugs also made them stupid too, hencewhy A was still driving the stolen car instead of ditching it during the ensuing manhunt. It wasn’t long for A to be located and apprehended. The kid was found safe and reunited with her family. Unfortunately however, A had outraged her modesty.

In December that year, A was sentenced to a total of seven years in jail and three strokes of the cane. Given his past record, jail time and the cane are likely just child’s play to him. Would the punishment rehabilitate him this time? I don’t think so and most likely after he got out in 2011, he went back to doing drugs and crime.  Just saying…