Two men found stealing coconuts bound to tree by villagers in Sitiawan

SITIAWAN: Two men were tied to a coconut tree by villagers after they were found stealing the fruit at the compound of Sekolah Agama Rakyat Al-Hidayah in Kampung Batu 7 Lekir, here, yesterday.
In the 10.30am incident, several villagers successfully nabbed the two individuals who were unaware that the owner of a grocery store nearby had spotted them climbing the five-metre high tree.
Former village chief Mohd Yaacob Hashim, 65, who is also a resident nearby, said he and 10 others went to the scene after receiving the news, and found one of the suspects was already in a Proton Wira car while the other was heading to a shop near there.
"There were bunches of coconuts in the car, and I was not sure whether the fruits were taken from our village or from elsewhere.
"(However) they admitted to having taken the coconuts (from the tree) and we then tied them both up to the tree using the rope they had utilised to pluck the fruits," he said when met here today.
Mohd Yaacob said the purpose of binding the two suspects was to teach them a lesson.
He said the two suspects had even begged to be released, confessing it was the first time they had done such a thing.
"We tied both of them while waiting for police to arrive, and we did not hit or hurt them.
"Who would have thought in this blessed month there are still people who do immoral activities (like stealing)," he added.
A footage of the incident has gone viral on social media, including Facebook.
Meanwhile, Manjung District police chief Tengku Mohd Zailan Tengku Ahmad Shah said the two suspects, aged 14 and 25, from Taman Hijau, Sitiawan, were remanded for three days from today.
"Investigations revealed the two ran a business selling coconut water in Teluk Muroh, Lumut, and neither of them have past criminal records,” he said when contacted here today, adding that the suspects’car and stolen fruit were also seized. — Bernama