Yesterday afternoon after circling around a neighbourhood a few times looking for a place to park, I found the perfect spot only to find a woman standing on the spot waving at the car behind me. Oh yes, she was one of those shameless people who reserve parking lots by standing on them. Obviously she didn’t care that it is an offence under Malaysian law to do so.

Under Section 50 (3) of Malaysia’s Road Transport Act 1987, ‘If any person, otherwise than with lawful authority, remains on any road or at any parking place for the purpose of importuning any other person in respect of the watching or cleaning of a motor vehicle, or for the purpose of directing any driver of a motor vehicle in respect of parking on such road or at such place, he shall be guilty of an offense’.

If convicted, the person faces a maximum fine of RM2000 or a 6-month prison stay. Yes I know, how many people are actually charged with this offence let along convicted? That’s why people like this woman get away with it time and time again. She doesn’t care about other motorists as long as it’s convenient for her and her companion. I just hope someone else does the same thing to her because she deserves it.

I don’t think this kind of bad behaviour occurs in neighbouring countries like Thailand or Singapore and of course it’d be unthinkable in countries with strong moral codes like Japan. Personally, I’d be mortified if someone told me to stand in a parking lot to reserve it. However, it seems to be the norm for people with little or no values.