Something is very not right with our authorities when it comes to penalising the very important people (VIP) for flouting the law. One such example is the recent news that several of our ministers including Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had broken several traffic offences.

If that was not terrible enough for the people to learn that their leaders themselves have no regard for traffic rules, the traffic police's 'generosity' in subsiding the traffic fines for these errant VIPs only goes to 'add salt to injury'.

On-line news house malaysiakini had reported that topping the list of VIP traffic offender was Youth and Sports Minister Azalina Othman Said. 'Crowned' the 'Speed Queen' title she was slapped with 28 traffic violations in the past four years and all but two were for speeding.

Azalina was nailed for the offences in five separate vehicles registered under her name. Her traffic 'misbehaviour' cost her RM8,400 in fines but 'thanks' to the generous discount from the police, she only need to pay up RM3, 850.

Coming second spot was Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil. According to rilek.com.my website, a portal providing users online service to check and pay their traffic fines, Shahrizat had 23 summones, and all were speeding.

Her unpaid fines went back to 2001 and the speeding offences were made by the same car registered under her name. But it was not known who was the driver of this car when the offences were committed. Shahrizat's fines totalled RM6,900 but with the kindness of the police, the minister will only have to fork out RM3,040.

And coming third was International Trade and Industry Minister and both Azalina and Shahrizat's boss in Wanita Umno. Rafidah Aziz had 10 unsettled summonses dating back to 2003 with seven for speeding and three for parking violations. And for that, her traffic fines stood at RM3,000 but again the 'kind' police has decided she only has to pay up RM1,180.

Speeding premier

In Abdullah's case, he was slapped with 11 summonses including for speeding, traffic obstruction and parking offences. His fines amounted to RM3,300 but he got a discount and needed to pay a mere RM1,000. The truly embarrassed Pak Lah confessed that he was not aware of the offences and promptly paid up the fines as soon he learnt of the matter.

Also guilty was former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad who was found to have three summonses and all for speeding. His fines stood at RM900 and he got a 50 percent discount. His probably was the only 'decent' case with the compounds being relatively recent, as of 2005.

And like Abdullah, Shahrizat too wasted no time in settling her fines after the matter became public news. Rafidah had paid up seven of her 10 summonses.

Equally guilty was Johor crown prince Tunku Ibrahim Ismail Sultan Iskandar who committed 89 traffic offences. He was reported to have paid all but three of his RM26,700 in total fines. The still unpaid summonses were traffic violations recorded in Negri Sembilan.

That leaves Azalina who has yet to take the trouble to pay up her traffic summonses. Why the further delay especially since the police has been exceptionally kind to these politicians?

Police double standards

It is disturbing to note that the police had no qualms at all in issuing hefty discounts to errant VIPs who flout traffic laws as has been the case with Pak Lah, Dr Mahathir, Rafidah, Shahrizat, Azalina and Tunku Ibrahim.

If fear of the 'powers that be' was one factor why the police gave such substantial 'subsidy' to these ministers, it only makes the average person ashamed to learn that the fact that the reins of the police are and will remain in the hands of politician is no fallacy after all.

Why the discrepancy in payment of fines between VIPs and the everyday wage earner? Is it because power begets power or is it because the police has no courage to stand up to such notorious offenders and 'get down to business'.

The knowledge that the Prime Minister and the rest ended up paying only a paltry amount for the offences committed has left Malaysians heart broken.

Perhaps it is true then that the police is truly under the grips of politicians, who God forbid, might even get away with murder. It would have made Malaysians proud if the police had been tough on these politicians in soliciting the exact traffic fines, or perhaps even more due to the add on of penalty in view of the long lapse of time in settling the fines by Pak Lah and the rest.

There police it seems is only 'adept' at making scapegoats of the layman and has no essential strength in carrying out is duties without fear or favour. If the VIPs can get away with a big discount, then why not extend this 'kindness' to the regular motorist, who might have a family of seven to feed and spends sleepless nights wondering how to go about settling his traffic fines.

Computer errors

In this respect, DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng could not have been more right in crying out loud that there be no discrimination in the country's law and that it should apply equally to all, be they VIPs or civilians.

The police's claim that there could be errors in their computer system which tracks traffic summonses is not a good enough reason to justify why VIPs were not made to pay the actual amount of fine, if not more and were accorded discounts.

Police Internal Security and Public Order director Mustafa Abdullah's remark that some individuals may not be aware of having committed traffic offences as the summonses were not issued and sent to them is not the issue here.

The real issue is that VIPs can get away with not paying the actual fines of their traffic offences by virtue of their social or political connections. The actual issue is also that the police do not treat all motorists equally and is biased towards the VIPs.

The actual issue is also this that as tax payers, Malaysian motorists in particular and road users in general have to put up with poorly maintained roads and still face the brunt of the police should they end up committing traffic offence.

In the issue of VIPs not paying up their traffic summonses, irrespective of the circumstances, the most honourable action coming from the police would have been to act tough on these errants by imposing a heavy penalty on them for the delay in settling their summonses. Typical of the Malaysian police, they could not do this.