Abasir: It is curious how some believe that leading an anti-crime NGO is equivalent to helming a religious charity espousing spartan living.

Then there is the notion that Anti-crime NGO MyWatch’s chairperson R Sri Sanjeevan should, for his own sake, remain indistinguishable from the rest of the rakyat, perhaps even shadowy and furtive.

Well, if he chooses to walk around with a target on his back or ride in a luminescent vehicle with flashing accessories, it is his call and his alone.

And then there has been this agonised, moralistic hand wringing that ostentation by a so-called “public figure” is bad…and that is coming from those who silently gawk at the wealth flaunted by the elaborately-titled class riding around in their Rolls Royces and Bentleys while stroking their cushion-cut diamond rings.

And finally, there is this one twit who is alleging ‘sudden wealth’ as if he is privy to the finances of the Sanjeevan family. So he is not a titled badminton player or royalty or an anonymous civil servant? So what?

Bystander: Why can’t you critics be more rational? Absolutely, nothing wrong with him buying the numbers he so desired. We must demand who are the civil servants who could be given the special numbers without paying.

It would either be abuse of power or corruption however you look at it. MACC should investigate and reveal their findings to the public. Will the Public Service Department chief please comment on it too?

Nes: I suppose we should not begrudge Sanjeevan and badminton star Lee Chong Wei for spending their hard-earned money on such frivolous pursuits. But I cannot help but feel the public’s esteem for them is soured and lowered by a few rungs.

Myrights: I don’t see why this should be a concern for anyone. Sanjeevan is not a civil servant and he is using his own money, not taxpayers’ money, so what is the problem? He can do anything he wants with his own money.

MACC should instead check those civil servants who bought the plates using taxpayers’ money, and find out why are there no names in those cases. People who criticise Sanjeevan have lost the plot.

Umno Kayu: It’s his money (as long it’s not acquired illegally). So he has the right to do whatever he wants. Just because he is a crime fighter you expect him to live like pauper? Malaysians, wake up please.

Exranger: RM340,000? Wow, Sanjeevan, you must be a multi-millionaire. To spend that amount on a number plate means you should have 10 times more in your account. Unless you spend everything you have for it.

You must have also bought your BMW in cash. A young man so rich? What do you do? When you were in hospital, I saw your family visiting and they didn’t look like super rich people.  Sanjeevan, you better clarify this.

Guns ‘n’ Roses: Driving around with such ostentatious number plates will simply make him a much easier target for more bullets. If it was a business strategy for future profit-making, with all this publicity, who would be stupid enough to buy those numbers from him?

It would put the buyer at high risk of being shot at, if someone, someday, were to present this so-called “crimebuster” with more bullets. I would think that the best strategy for him would be to maintain a profile as low as possible.

Negarawan: Spending RM340k just for plate numbers? What business is this guy in? Is he really “watching” crime only? Perhaps he should be “watched” himself? His own credibility as a so-called “crimebuster” is in serious question.

JustAMalaysian: People should not question how Sanjeevan earned his money. He owes nobody an explanation. Unless one has knowledge of wrongdoing by Sanjeevan, one should not say anything which puts his integrity in question.

I salute Sanjeevan not because he is Indian but because his fight is for a just cause and because he is so courageous. I also want to fight injustice but I do not have the courage like Sanjeevan.

Siang Malam: Enjoy the numbers Sanjeevan… it’s the civil servants who should explain because they got them free.

Spirit of Malaya: MACC! Please get cracking and find out who were those civil servants and no need to wait for police or MACC report. Just ask for the names from the chief secretary.

Don’t know how to do it or go about it? Just check with your Tamil Nadu, India, counterparts because they just successfully prosecuted their chief minister and threw her into jail.

Otherwise, please say in public that there’s no case because the civil servants bought it with their hard earned halal money.

BernieBaby: Doesn’t the revelation of these numbers make you an easier target now? Besides no one will buy these numbers now unless they are inviting bullets.

Pkk: Did he inherit the riches from his parents or did he earn the money himself? What business is he in?  Just curious to know – since he is fighting corruption, we want to make sure he is not corrupt.

Tembikai: I don’t care how you spend your hard earned money. Now please reveal who these other people are who did not have to pay a single sen to get the number plates and please then go after these people.

HERO325: What is so special about those BMW number plates – apart from telling the public that you are rich enough to afford them.

Anonymous_1371477558: This is a capitalist country. Why run someone down for spending his own money, even if that person is heading an NGO critical of the police. If the rich should only hide their money, then the country’s economy will grind to a halt.

Kit P: Live modestly, if you have so much money, and you don’t know where to park it, give it to charity. There are plenty of deserving poor people around, and poverty does sometimes encourage crime. Think of it as an indirect crime-fighting strategy.

Headhunter: It’s his money and like he said, the money goes to the government. But the big question raised is that how come such numbers are given to government officials for free?

What’s to stop them from selling the numbers and then go for more in future? Each of the number is worth the cost of a house. It’s like throwing away the rakyat’s money to pamper these little Napoleons.

It’s good that this is exposed because we now know how rotten our systems are and how much of our money is being wasted by the government to benefit a selected few.

Vijay47: There are two possibly conflicting positions here. First, people want knights jousting on their behalf to be more like, well, them. While they don’t expect those in their corner to be Mother Theresa-poor, they don’t quite want them to be Rosmah-rich either.

Paying hundreds of thousands of ringgit on single or double digit car numbers reek of ostentatiousness and vanity, and diminishes the sincerity of the owner.

There would also be a hint of insecurity. On the other hand, can’t a rich man fight for the poor – does he have to forgo all his wealth for him to be true to the mission?

Further, why should Sanjeevan’s riches imply that he had indulged in shady means to accrue them? It is his money, he earned it, and he can do anything he wants with it. After all, some people collect cute car numbers, while others amass sparkling diamond rings.

Ukinana: Hmm… now I am interested to know what business Sanjeevan is in, and how much he earns yearly.

---