As Parliamentary Opposition Leader, I apologise to the people of Johore Baru that Parliament had failed them abysmally in the past week to articulate their deepest fears and anxieties about their personal safety and those of their loved ones and the loss of their most fundamental citizenship right to be able to feel safe whether at home or out in the streets.
In my 33 years as Member of Parliament, I had never felt more ashamed as a MP when my urgent motion to get Parliament to debate the rampant crime and lawlessness in Johor Baru was rejected, for I felt that I had terribly let down the people of Johor Baru and Malaysia as Parliament has again proved to be utterly irrelevant and even indifferent to the most burning concerns of the people.
I had tried not once but twice in the first week of Parliament which ended yesterday to bring the crisis of public confidence in police failure to control and reduce crime to the floor of Parliament for emergency debate by way of two urgent motions, but both were rejected.
When the Speaker, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah, rejected my urgent motion yesterday, I felt a great sense of personal failure.
I also could not believe or understand why Barisan Nasonal MPs, particularly those from Johor Baru and Johore, could be so indifferent to the recent spate of brutal crimes such as robbery-cum-gang rapes that they do not want Parliament to be in the forefront to demand an immediate and concrete action plan to restore law and order to Johor Baru and wipe out its notoriety as the nation’s capital of crime.
These MPs from JB and Johore have not uttered a single word in Parliament for the whole of past week on the rampant crime and lawlessness which had become a daylight nightmare of everyone in Johor Baru and Johore? Can they explain why?
My sadness and sense of failure as an MP when my motion was rejected yesterday was compounded by two other factors:
- the media reports yesterday of another two brutal crimes in Johor Baru the day before, involving gang rapes of a Malay and Chinese girl, bearing out the truth of a media headline “Any race could be a victim”, that this is not a race or political problem but one of fundamental human and citizenship right; and
- the disappointing result of the Wednesday Cabinet meeting which did not declare anything new apart from talk of a crackdown on crime in JB, as the announcement of 400 more cops in the streets in JB and new temporary police stations had already been announced two days earlier in JB by the Health Minister, Datuk Chua Soi Lek.
What the people of JB and Malaysia want are no more verbal assurances from the Cabinet that actions would be taken but immediate and concrete action where they and their loved ones could immediately feel safe in the streets, public places and the privacy of their homes — today and tomorrow and not in the future, whether three or six months’ time!
The people of JB and Malaysia are tired of too many assurances of “actions to be taken” in the past, whether by the Prime Minister or the Inspector-General of Police to fight crime but which had proved to be mere empty words.
For a start, what JB needs is an immediate deployment of at least 1,000 more cops and not just 400.
Johor Baru Selatan with a population of 1,159,079 and 1,159 cops has a policemen:population ratio of 1:1,000. Johor Baru Utara with a population of 530,990 and 684 cops has a policemen:population ratio of 1:776.
With an increase of 400 more cops to the total Johor Baru police contingent of 1,843, the policemen-population ratio for Johor Baru (total population: 1,690,069) will be improved to 1:753.
This is not only too late, but too little. What is urgently needed is an immediate deployment of 1,000 more cops to Johor Baru to bring the policemen-population ratio to 1:595, which is still double the national policemen:population ratio of 1:275.
If the Cabinet is not prepared to make such a decision to approve an allocation for 1,000 more cops for JB, then let all MPs, regardless of party and region, stand as one to approve such an allocation, and apply the same principle to all the other hot-spots of crime in the country, such as Klang Valley and Penang, so that Malaysians, tourists and investors enjoy the double freedoms of being free from crime and the fear of crime.
Uncle Lim… u are the real peace fighters!
not a failure at all! it’s just the ignorance of the BN MP’s that cause this problem to be continued……
really hope Johore residents will vote wisely for their own safety…
Dear LKS, you do not need to apologise. The PM and MB of Johor should aplogise to the people of Johor.
as the country approaches the time of our jubilee celebration, i can say that i am not proud to be described as a Malaysian citizen. events that happened over the many months seemed to clearly confirm that the pm and his ministers and the government as a whole are leading the nation into a state of disarray, as uncle kit said. it is very shameful and scary indeed to think of these, especially for the kids whom we are raising to also live in this place called “our nation”.
There is no need for you to apoligize Mr lim since what you have done and the protesters have done has had an effect and now they are more serious in tackling the crime problems in JB compared to their earlier stance. At least now they admit that crime is rampant and not deny it anymore.
LKS, you should apologise. Apologise for not being the man in control. And Malaysian should apologise to you too. For you’ve been fighting an unappreciated war.
The Malaysian owed their grievance to themselves only for they keep on taking the bribe of sweet talks and promises, destined to doom.
,,,uncle kit, you are apologetic as you probably felt a sense of failure. i am shameful and apologetic too to my children as i feel a sense, a great great sense of helplessness, to let my kids grow naturally the way they should, the way that i used to grow up in my kampung without many such fears. but uncle kit, we are proud of you for being able to be there at the p house to fight for a good cause. you are not alone behind you,,,,the masses will ensure that more voices are around with you the next time round, the next ge will ensure that.
Thank you Uncle Kit. I appreciated your efforts. Who else beside you and DAP will stands for the victims of rape and robbery? I will remember this episode.
This Parliament of 90% majority has been sleeping too long that they are fossilised!
And the Speaker is just part of the furniture. Guess it is up to the voters to replace all the deadwood and maybe the grave crime situation may finally awaken more Malaysians as they too have been sleeping for 50 years.
After all the government has been playing the same boring NEP music for so many years.
But the police are definitely more visible in JB today.
http://malaysiawatch2.blogspot.com/2007/06/cops-get-cracking-in-jb.html
The best thing to do is to replace the whole BN government. Pak Lah has failed miserably as the PM cum Intenal Security Minister. What has he done as the country’s Intenal Security Minister? He is still drawing the salaries of multiple cabinet posts without doing anything seriously. He still wants more honeymoon and waste more tax money. The overdosage of Vigra has probably caused him over-optimistic and thus he dreamt about 2057 to fool the people around. This old corrupt man must go soon! All eligible voters should and must vote for the opposition party, especialy DAP. Once we have a strong opposition party, the government in power will no longer be so arrogant, ignorant, and inefficient. Long live uncle Lim Kit Siang, we need 1000 more politicians like you!! God Bless!!!
Ha ha! With all of these problems on crime, flooding, corruption, poor TPI rating, and leaking government projects, the flip flop on policies, poor infrastructure (roads, internet and phone lines, electricity, water quality, traffic lights and road congestion) etc you expect IDR to do well?
Sleep on and keep dreaming BN.
YB, Make sure you harp on these issue in the coming GE. Let DAP create history by being voted into the UMNO heartland and where UMNO started.
YB LKS,the wind of change is blowing.How strong is this wind of change is blowing can be anybody’s guess.But definitely it is coming.There are a lot of people out there ready to give u support.The right thinking people know who are actually fighting for the safety n security of the people.Unlike those who are in power for so long that they have become arrogant, insensible n corrupt,you are like one of the great n strong pillars that are supporting the creaky roof of the nation.
This is the result of decades of bad leadership.
Now you have criminals feeling save and comfortable of their activities in the country.
,,,with the way the authorities are handling all these, i am not surprised if the big and small red ants all come crawling to the klang valley,,,,,,
Crime in Johor and Malaysia is not just about law, the police and systems. If you are going to rely on investment in efficiency, dedication and systems of the PDRM to radically change things, you can forget it now.
Crime in this country is systematically culturised. We fundamentally condone it as a society, as a system as part of our politics and government. From the apathy of the police and the public, the lack of accountability, the poor/inequitable investment reward system, its culturalized. The failures of many parts beginning with the police obviously is what is failing.
The police is ONLY the begining of the problem and they use that fact to hold hostage to the leaders and the public.
Change management gurus says that when there is too many people at fault, its futile to try to tackle just one or all of them. You need to have a logical step by step plan or change will be half-baked and ultimately fail.
as malaysian, we feel sad and hurt whenever this kinda news pops up. we all do have female partner in our life, mother, sister, daughter….. don’t the leader felt the same way we do?
if this happen to their love one, i think they will raise it up immediately on the parliment.
We truely support ur frighting spirit, uncle lim.
keep up the good job.
we don;t hope for things to change, we make it change!
Bigjoe…..half-baked? That about sums up Malaysia’s NEP, IDR new building (Leaky, delayed, cracked etc) projects. Fantastic how you have captured it in those words……half-baked!
Must be because the whole core is half-baked! From the PM, Cabinet, DG’s Directors, etc.
Almost impossible to improve it would seem.
Dear YB Lim, you sound like you are loosing your battle for us,
you must not be demotivated, once you are demotivated, all of us will feel hopeless and helpless, only you and DAP can give us some hope for a better future in Malaysia.
So stop your apologise, tell us that you will keep on fighting even you are down but you are not out yet! Tell us you will keep on fighting our corrupt and half past six goverment.
We will always support the righteous one!
Not your fault Uncle Kit! Haih… Opposition party with merely 10% seats in Parliment can’t do much. Johorians should get a wake up call now, for they have been sleeping for to long… Voting for MCA for all these years… *Sigh*
LKS no need to apologize for the hopeless governance by the people in power.Serious issues are forever being blithely brushed off as being politicized, racial, sensitive,etc .
In my book, you are scoring points of doing what a good MP should be doing. Just keep up the good work.
Unc Kit, you have lots of urbanites supporting you. It will takes several generations from now to achieve a kind of gentlemen institution at parliament. The kind of speeches made by some MP are just kids stuff! No research and no substance.
I am also tired of complaining, and i have done my part to submit my signature at the JB petition http://www.jbtalks.cc/petition/. Its counting at 77677. Its reported this morning at 70,000. All in all should be 120,000 signatures by now, the petition stops this sunday.
All these years, this is the only time that I see the co-operation from Chinese. I hope that this kind of spirit should be enhance further than just for this situation then life will be better.
Why I have condemn some as [deleted] is because some have alleged others at playing a racial issue from this critical situation. The MCA chief got emotional that he could not have the “power” to put to effect JB is safe from heinous crimes. The crime scene has been in for several years not 3 weeks ago! The whole world knew about this! He is the one who told the public is a “racial issue” nobody else. [deleted] -that’s it!
The situation is much acute than one’s think, the authority should have done earlier to save many lifes from breaking down. The future of those raped victims are traumatic, and some will never recover. He is a medical doctor and he should know better.
I just cannot understand why the folks back in the village still vote for these people to clean drains and tar the road?
The Chinese has deteriorated over the generations- the Chinese character. [deleted] That’s why you see some are very weak in their character viz suicide, less hardworking (lepak) etc etc
You sure that these 120,000 votes swing over?
Dear Kit Siang, an apology from you is indeed in order, in that ‘you’ are responsible, albeit indirectly, for having your own motion rejected.
Any MP who sings along the line that ‘he’ is responsible for the current state of his Parliament, is singing the right tune, and on that score alone, he is saying that its aberrations are ‘his’ creation, hence cleaning duties are ‘his’ responsibility.
Even a rabid dog on the street is ‘our’ responsibility, simply because its nature is indirectly ‘our’ creation, but note, ‘affinity’ has always been a pre-requisite to taming such a rogue. Extermination of a ‘controllable’ beast is at best, lack of responsibility on our part, at worst, the result of hate for the animal.
Parliament has to be tamed, but it is possible only when MPs shed their partisan mentality and begin with ‘affinity’ for one another.
“When the Speaker, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah, rejected my urgent motion yesterday, I felt a great sense of personal failure.” LKS
Does this mean you are ready to throw in the towel??
J B people, please wake up. Enough is enough. The BN government has not been doing anything for you as far as rampant crime and lawlessness is concerned, yet year in and year out you still vote BN in. It is time that you must show that you are not happy with the competency or can’t be bother attitude of the BN government.
Ever LKY of Singapore said it decades ago, Kit said it before, we as commentators said it before, and main media said it before, but nothing has been done for you, the JB people. The authority’s eyes are blind, and ears are deaf. Those parasitic politicians even have the cheek to tell us that crimes rates would not affect the voting superiority of the BN in Johor, a pure extreme arrogance. Come on, J B people, unite together, whether Chinese, Malay, Indians or any other Malaysians, cast a vote against BN, to show that you want a change for a better; and get rid of those who can’t do a job.
It is you who has to suffer from this rampant crime and lawlessness; it is your daughters, your sisters, and your wife who got robbed, and raped. Some unfortunately were even killed through snatch theft, man made car accidents, or just simply brutal killing. Are you going to let this happen again and again? Your policemen on your payroll do not response to your emergency call and to some extent refuse to allow you to make correct report.
To cast your vote again for BN means you condone their attitude, inaction, corruption, incompetence and arrogance. It is like you are inviting these people to come and rob, rape and kill you.
Oppositions, please take this chance to work out a strategy together, don’t quarrel and adopt a way to try to form an effective alternate government to prove that you can’t be worse and could anytime manage better than this bunch of parasites.
PDRM would not allow the mass media to report crimes. Then, how to improve ? It is high time we need people like Superman who takes law into his own hands because by the time the authority acts, it might be too late. Now that we are listening to all the court proceedings of Baginda and how his wife attitude is, Malaysia does not need a lawyer like her. The judge should reprimand her and refer her to some lawyers’ ethic committee. The accused did not resort to physical violence. Why is his supporter being so emotional and aggressive in front of everyone ? She makes a fool of herself and of other lawyers too.
well said kong, but jb voters deserved what they voted for, money politics . i presume.
The only reason they are doing this is to satisfy the sporeans who complained during Najib’s roadshow on WPI. Pak Lah and the govt need to make this successful if not they have nothing to show. Screw the rest of Malaysia cos your lifes are not as valuable as sporeans cos Pak Lah needs their money.
Cemerlang,Gemilang, Terbilang…untuk siapa ya?
“Johor Baru Selatan with a population of 1,159,079 and 1,159 cops has a policemen:population ratio of 1:1,000. Johor Baru Utara with a population of 530,990 and 684 cops has a policemen:population ratio of 1:776.”
This is a damn good ratio! Unfortunately, it is not the crime that matters to them. It is simply employment creation prior to the GE.
hj angus wrote :
This Parliament of 90% majority has been sleeping too long that they are fossilised!
I fully agree with your statement. Johor being a Barisan stronghold for decades is experiencing complacency and stagnation. I believe it is time for a change in government. Not just for Johor but Malaysia.
It was in the end of May, a my loss-adjuster friend was waiting for her client to conduct a survey at a plant nearby the Puspakom building at Taman Daya, Johor Bahru, when she was assaulted and robbed. When she was in her car outside the gates, a man parked his motorcyle approached her and asked her business. Thinking it was a worker, she mentioned the person whom she was waiting for. Suddenly she heard a loud smash of broken glass. She realised her driver’s window was smashed. The same man returned. He turned off her engine and opened the door. he immediately grabbed her handbag and a tug-of-war ensued. Being stronger, he pulled her out of the car spilling the contents of her handbag on the ground. As the lone robber pinned her body with her face to the ground, he rebuked her, “Berani kau melawan aku.” . She spied a brick nearby and fearfully she prayed with all her might. Her fears came true when he picked up the brick and was about to strike her. She somehow calmly uttered, “Kalau awak ada mak, takkan awak pukul saya.” Suddenly he dropped the brick, grabbed her pouch and escaped on his motorbike. She attributed her lucky escape from possible fatal injuries to her prayers and God’s mercy.
Saudara LKS, you do not need to apologise for you have raised three urgent motions that concerns the security of the nation. It was the impotent MPs from Johor that ought to be ashamed of their inaction to serve the people of Johor. I salute you for your fortitude and pray the Almighty will grant you great health and strength to continue your mission.
Malaysian Parliament, as all the citizen knew too well, is just a dobby-mark of the Executive; it always fails the people of the country, like in JB, no big surprise, no big deal; all is costed in already; not much of an expectation from the flip-flop policies and strategies. A lot of thunders but no rain, alot of statement of intent but no concrete and viable action and plan seen.
Investors to Johor will surely hold back their feets and their dollars; a step backward from the IDR, as far as foreign investors are concerned.
Who dares to walk along the streets, be it day or night? They may be robbed and raped! Who dares to walk into a bank and cash some moneys? They may be trailed, carjacked, assalted, snatched and robbed of the cash and life.
Malaysian Parliament is a dobby-mark for the executive. It has failed the people more than it has helped the people. The people knew that full well.
Mr LKS, u did’nt have to apologise. In fact u did a good job !! You always stand up for a good cause for the nation and its citizens. You never fail them all this years as a dedicated person. We should have more people for check and balances and then Malaysia would be a safer place to live in. The PM and the Govt should be the ones to apologise otherwise downgrading the reputation, The world is waiting ……………
Those MPs down there, they just wait to get their gaji at the end of the month and that’s what they are good for, at least this is their job! People of JB and Johore or the nation as a whole, think wisely when the next time you PALANG the slip………….ok. Don’t let DAP down……
Rampant Crimes & Lawlessness in JB has No End,
Fire-Fighting Measures by Police’s Deployment is JUST INTERIM;
What we CITIZENS want is LONG TERM Solution,
To the Outcry of Polis’s FAILURE to Guard The Country WELL!!
We want to see All States & Cities to ENJOY Peace & Order,
Not to see KILLINGS, Rapes and ADDICTS Any More…;
If The Government Thinks They Have Succeeded in The War of Crimes.
Then we Citizens WILL FOREVER Be Haunted by Their Stupid Cum Ignorant Acts!!