AT about 12.11pm on Tuesday, a former model was brought into a magistrate’s court in Kuala Lumpur handcuffed to a tudung-clad woman charged with possession of drugs.
Persana Avril Sollunda wore a long black coat over a short white dress with deep neckline and black boots with high heels. Her shoulder-length hair was tied in a bun.
The 32-year-old exotic-looking Sabahan of mixed parentage (Kadazandusun and Punjabi) looked sweet and decent. I felt sorry for her.
When I see someone who notoriously becomes larger than life via social media in the flesh, my heart melts. The person becomes more human. From a “Petaling Street stripper”, I saw her as a “real person”.
On Saturday, police arrested the spa worker after a video went viral showing a woman removing her white jacket, black blouse and bra at the popular tourist area during an argument over her refusal to pay for her meal. The incident allegedly took place at 4.30pm on April 23.
The video was the talk of the town, especially among Sabahans. Photographs allegedly of the accused were shared on WhatsApp. Shared were pix of her as a secondary school girl, magazine cover girl and actress.
There was even a photograph of her with Parti Bersatu Sabah president and Kadazandusun Huguon Siou (paramount leader) Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan in a public place. Pairin said he didn’t know who she was as “many people have their pictures taken with me.” “It’s normal. When they ask, you oblige. But I don’t remember her. Who is she?” said the Sabah Deputy Chief Minister.
Many compared the tattoos of the woman in the video clip and the accused. In court, I looked around the gallery filled with a dozen journalists. I saw three men with sling bags who I suspected to be pimps, a woman (accused of stealing a tin of baby formula and other stuff) with her husband and brother, and two women wearing tudung.
“I think no family members or friends here,” I WhatsApp-ed my Sabah group. “If she pleads guilty and is fined, I wonder who will pay for it.”
I noticed that most of the accused (China dolls and Bangladeshi labourers who overstayed and Malaysians caught for drug possession) in the dock kept on turning their heads to the gallery to look for a familiar face.
Persana did not. It was as if she knew that nobody would turn up for her in court. Her charge was read in front of magistrate Zura Syazween Hamzan and prosecuting officer Asst Supt Nom Phot Prackdit. She was charged with perbuatan lucah (behaving indecently) in public. After it was read, Persana was asked what her plea was. “Saya di pukul (I was beaten) ...,” she said.
Zura told her that the charge was not related to her being beaten by anyone. “That is not the issue. This is about you behaving indecently. Do you plead guilty?” she said.
“I plead not guilty,” said Persana, who might be sentenced to not more than three months in jail, fined, or penalised with both sentences if found guilty.
When asked if she had anyone to post bail, she shook her head to say no. Zura set May 29 for her hearing.
I managed to talk to Persana.
Me: “Hello! I’m Philip Golingai from Sabah. My Sabah friends would like to help you to pay for bail. Do you need help to pay bail?”
Persana: “I have the money. It is in my spa in XXX hotel. However, I don’t have a way to get the money.”
Me: “How can I help you to get the money?”
Persana: “I have a friend and she’s in the spa. Call my friend Jenny in the spa. She can bring me the money.”
Me: “How about your family? Do you want me to contact your mum or dad?”
Persana: “I don’t have any mother or father.”
Me: “Are you from Sabah?”
Persana: “Yes, I am.”
Thirty minutes later, P. Aruna, my colleague, was at the spa in Bukit Bintang to look for Jenny. However, the two women working in the spa didn’t allow her to meet Jenny. The two women, whose job title is probably “mummy”, were suspicious of strangers and strange questions.
“They said they didn’t want to help her. She needs to insaf (learn a lesson) so it was better that she spends time in jail,” said Aruna. “They didn’t want to give Jenny’s contact.”
I WhatsApp-ed my Sabah group: “If Jenny can’t bail out Persana, do you want to help get someone to post bail and to raise the bail.” Most of the group members were keen.
Sarah (not her real name): “Count me in.”
Jahid (not his real name): “I can chip in.”
“Why are you helping her?” I asked Sarah.
“She deserves a second chance. Maybe kindness from a stranger will motivate her to turn over a new leaf,” she said. “I got a lot of WhatsApp messages on her, mostly negative ones and very few addressed her as a person. Most judged her on what they saw on the video.”
She added: “One of the Bali Nine, Myuran, drew a portrait of Jokowi. He wrote ‘People can change.’ Myuran was a drug trafficker. He became an art instructor in prison, helping many. I believe that people can change. She can change.”
Persana, according to Sarah, reminded her of “many fallen Sabahans, chasing the elusive ‘Malaysian Dream’ in KL.”
However, Judith had a different opinion. “Let her stay in there. She needs to know hardship. Of course kesian (pity). She needs to know and learn the hard way. After her second hearing, I can contribute. She cannot be spoilt,” she said.
It was amazing that many Malaysians wanted to help Persana raise bail. The WhatsApp group members told me that some offered money without them asking for donation. Some offered to pray.
The group has engaged a lawyer willing to do pro bono work and they are still looking for a bailor. They are working to bail out to the accused. Persana might get her second chance after all.
>The views expressed are entirely the writer’s own.
Bestfbkl - If thats the case, this group should bail all other drug users who commit crime under the influence as its never their fault!
