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By Mihar Dias (C) Copyright January 2024
Imagine being an 11-year-old, barely into 6th grade, accused and standing before a magistrate in 1960, just three years after our country's independence where everything was still conducted in English.
I had only learned English two years earlier at a Special Malay School. The programme was designed to give Malays the competency needed to enter English medium secondary schools.
The crowded traffic court by the banks of Kedah River, in Alor Setar, presented a tableau of drivers, cyclists, rickshaw pullers, and impatient transport operators—my unlikely companions - nerve-wracking yet enlightening experience.
My best friend, the culprit behind the accident, was notably absent, leaving me with a sense of betrayal. As we tumbled to the ground, narrowly avoiding a bus collision, forgiveness was granted, but our friendship stumbled.
Dressed in my school uniform, facing the magistrate, I found myself unexpectedly immersed in a lesson about justice and eloquence.
In the words of Oscar Wilde, "A true friend stabs you in the front," and indeed, the poignant absence of my friend deepened the understanding that friendship, like justice, could falter in unexpected ways.
While awaiting my turn, the eloquence of a savvy taxi driver's appeal, reminiscent of Mark Twain's wisdom, "It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt," captured my attention.
In perfect English, he questioned the calibration of the speed-detection equipment used by the police, skillfully evading a fine.
Inspired by his advocacy, I harboured aspirations of becoming a lawyer, a voice for the voiceless unrepresented in the court of law.
As my case was called, the interpreter briskly translated the charge into Malay - Kedah Malay. Overwhelmed by fear, my English proficiency remained unasserted.
However, the magistrate delivered a stern yet relieving verdict, in English, advising the 11-year-old me, “Since this is your first offense, I am going to let you off with a warning and an advice. Do not do this again for the rest of your life. Obey the laws. It's there for your own protection.”
This encounter indelibly marked my perception of justice and underscored the importance of adhering to the law, shaping my understanding of the world in ways reminiscent of a bildungsroman.
In the words of William Shakespeare, "Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice," this narrative, " Innocence on Trial: My Journey Through the Courts of 1960," invites readers into the personal narrative of a child navigating the complexities of justice, where every twist and turn reveals profound insights into the human experience.
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