NS Shirker Outcry

It seems everyone is pissed off about how the issue of Ahmad Hafizal Ahmad Fauzi was handled; after all, sending a kid whose family depends on him as a substantial breadwinner to jail is hardly compassionate or humane. However, I do not understand the desire of several people to ignore a simple fact in this case.

What fact? The fact that when first questioned, Hafizal identified his reason for avoiding national service as being too lazy to attend. If that's the sort of reason you give, well, you can't blame anyone else. Some people are asking how you would expect a pauper to argue with police and stand up for his rights. Well, if you ask me, I'd certainly be more afraid of a backlash against me if I answered "I was too lazy to attend" than "I had to help put my brothers and sisters through school".

Of course, that doesn't mean Hafizal alone is to blame. The government not pushing for leniency is bad enough. Add to that the fact that about the only person they've managed to haul up for prosecution so far is Hafizal. It's insanity. Don't tell me that of the 4,000 shirkers, only Hafizal was not wily enough to fool the police? You've got to be kidding me.

We have every right to be angry about this case. But it's not just the government's fault; Hafizal shares some of the blame too.