Power of online petitions: Working collectively to inspire change

Online petitions have grown in popularity both globally and in Malaysia as a means of drawing attention to pressing issues and promoting change. — 123rf.com

When Sam Ke Ting was sentenced to six years in jail without bail and received an RM6,000 fine for reckless driving on April 13, two online petitions were kicked off on petition website Change.org to seek justice for her.

The petitioners argued that Sam should not be blamed for the incident – which occurred in the wee hours of Feb 18, 2017 and took the lives of eight teenagers riding modified bicycles – because she was not speeding, under the influence of alcohol or drugs.