Seeking to have Sam’s sentence overturned.
An online petition calling for the release of Sam Ke Ting, who was sentenced to jail yesterday for reckless driving and causing eight deaths, has garnered more than 300,000 signatures in less than 24 hours.
An individual named Wan Junaida started the #FreeSamKeTing petition on Change.org, is seeking 500,000 signatures.
The petition as at 1pm today has garnered 323,442 signatures.
Yesterday, the Johor Baru High Court sentenced the clerk to six years’ jail and fined her RM6,000 for reckless driving in connection with the deaths of eight teenagers on modified bicycles, or “basikal lajak”, five years ago.
“We Malaysians are horrified by the new sentence of Sam, where facts supported that she was a responsible driver, the real victim in this accident,” said Wan on the petition site.
“It was the failed parenthood of the parents of the future mat rempit that allowed their children to roam in the street with modified bicycles, or ‘basikal lajak’, at 3am,” she said.
“We do not accept this judgment, and seek to have her sentence overturned, so as not to rob the bright future of a young, innocent Malaysian citizen,” she said.
Judge Abu Bakar Katar ordered Sam Ke Ting, 27, to serve her jail sentence starting yesterday.
She was disqualified from driving for three years and must serve another six months in jail if she fails to pay the fine.
In his judgment, the judge said the defence failed to raise any reasonable doubt against the prosecution’s case, which had clearly proved the essence of the offence.
Yesterday’s judgement set aside the magistrate’s court’s decision on October 10 last year to acquit and discharge the woman of the charge.
However, upon appeal from the prosecution, the High Court had, in February 2021, ordered the woman to enter her defence.
Abu Bakar, when reading his decision in allowing the appeal, said the court is satisfied that all the essence of the offence under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 had been successfully proven.
He said the trial court had erred when it failed to decide whether the woman’s defence in her unsworn statement was a mere denial or an afterthought.
Meanwhile, Sam has begun her appeal process.
Her lawyer Muhammad Faizal Mokhtar told The Star that a notice of motion and certificate urgency were filed electronically with the Court of Appeal on Thursday (April 14) morning.
The two applications were to obtain leave to appeal and to stay the execution of Sam’s sentence.
“Thanks for all the support shown to Sam,” Muhammad Faizal said via WhatsApp.
Earlier report:
Apr 13, Ramkarpal: Appeal ‘basikal lajak’ case decision immediately