If you were to go through the entry gallery, you’d notice that I did not cover the team line up portrait at all as my first frame was recorded at 2112 .. that’s 9:12pm to those who don’t read time in the International format. And there’s a peculiar reason behind it – I wasn’t been let into the stadium’s parking area by the traffic policeman, even though I’m all prepared with the proper credentials. The conversation at the stop goes like this:
Police: Jalan! Jalan!
Me: (Winding screen) Assalamualaikum cik .. pasepa lak saya taleh nak masuk .. kan ada pass ngan stiker nie …
Police: Taleh masuk … jalan pi depan!
Me: Haa? Saya ada pass media nie (showing the media pass)
Police: Nih .. media kaa .. apa kaa … taleh masuk .. laluan VIP dah tutup .. parking dah takdak
Me: Tak pernah2 tutup laluan nih untuk orang yang ada pass pun cik, pasepa lak hari nie tutup?
Police: Hang tak payah nak cakap pandai sangat … jalan pi depan!
With him raising his voice like such, I know I have no time to lower myself to such level of stupidity. Looking at the time (it was 2035), instantaneously after that, I shut the screen and made 3 rounds to find a proper parking for my car which took quite some time as the area been flooded by cars for the favorite match. I managed to find a decent place near Petronas, carried my photography equipment, and marched straight to the stadium entrance without wasting time.
At the entrance, the ushers were surprised to see my late entry. I saw ample available parking space. Then I saw a VVIP car at the stadium’s façade which happened to be transporting the new “Pemangku Sultan” to the match. Now, I don’t think my encounter with the policeman has anything to do with the “Pemangku Sultan” as I’ve been covering events with the Sultan’s attendance countless times.
I’ve been thinking, the stickers have been produced in putting the system to an order. They’ve been produced in direct relation to the number of available parking in the stadium vicinity. It’s very simple, those with stickers enter, those without do not. As a policeman, you don’t pass judgments based on your limited intellectual capacity because there’s the system and you need follow it to your bone. The interesting part was, my dear friend who holds a VVIP pass into the stadium vicinity came to the same encounter with the same officer as early as 1930! Soon after, I found out the other journalists have also been cast out from entering the parking space and I’m telling you, that policeman is definitely toast.
It’s funny that we have a system in our country of which many of those who enforce it manipulate the system to certain party’s interest to keep climbing the power ladder. Likewise in this encounter, the policeman deliberately broke the system and substituted his own to lick the balls of aristocracy.
BTW, the match ended with 0-0.
