The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s expression of “worry” about the rising crime index and his announcement of a multi-prong strategy to combat crime lack seriousness and conviction, as they appear to be just election gimmicks to give Malaysians a false sense of security that something is being done to fight crime with the approach of the general election.
New Straits Times front-page headline yesterday, “CRIME RATE UP 13.4% – PM expresses alarm Announces remedial action” understates the gravity of the crime situation in Malaysia during the four-year Abdullah premiership.
The crime rate rose by 13.4 per cent last year but in the four years of Abdullah premiership, crime rate shot up by an even more alarming 45%.
When Abdullah became Prime Minister in October 2003, the crime situation was already out of control which was why one of his first reform promises and measures which won him all-round plaudits and support among Malaysians was the establishment of the Royal Police Commission to reduce crime to restore to Malaysians their twin fundamental rights to be free from crime and the fear of crime, whether in the streets, public places or the privacy of their homes.
After four years, Malaysia today is even more unsafe to its citizens, visitors, tourists or investors because of endemic crime.
In the past four years, the crime index had worsened from 156,315 cases in 2003 to 224,298 cases in 2007 – a sharp rise of some 45% when it should have gone down as recommended by the Royal Police Commission. For the first time in the nation’s 50-year history, the crime index last year crashed through the 200,000 psychological barrier. Women in Malaysia are now more unsafe today than four years ago – as the incidence of rape had more than doubled from a daily average of four women in 2003 to 8.5 women last year!
Is the five-prong anti-crime strategy announced by Abdullah adequate to make Malaysia a safer country than just four years ago before he became Prime Minister?
One of the five anti-crime strategies is to appoint civilians to administrative positions and thereby release police personnel for their main duties.
This is actually Recommendation No. 78 of the 125 recommendations of the Royal Police Commission to create an efficient, accountable, incorruptible, professional world-class police service to keep crime low, eradicate corruption and uphold human rights.
The Royal Police Commission proposed “Civilianising or outsourcing functions presently performed by uniformed personnel in PDRM, and re-deploying the uniformed personnel to core policing functions”. It said that such a move would immediately release 35,000 uniformed police personnel for core policing functions, i.e. fighting crime and catching criminals!
The Royal Police Commission provided a time-line for the implementation of this proposal – “In phases. Completion by May 2007”
This is January 2008 and the Prime Minister is still talking about this proposal of “appointing civilians to administrative positions to release police personnel” for their core police duties to fight crime and catch criminals! What a shame and disappointment!
DAP has decided make crime, law and order the top national theme in the next general election – which will be a first in the nation’s 50-year electoral history.
Today, we are here to launch in Perak state the DAP’s “Good Cops, Safe Malaysia” campaign theme for the next general election, starting with the visit to the Kampong Simee market just now.
Together with other DAP Perak state leaders, I will take part in a two-day whistle-stop campaign to take the DAP message of “Good Cops, Safe Malaysia” to all Malaysians as it is the basic right and expectation of all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or political beliefs to enjoy personal safety and property security. Among the places I will visit in the weekend two-day whistle-stop campaign in Perak will be Ipoh, Teluk Intan, Taiping, Sungei Siput, Pantai Remis, Kampar and Bidor.
(Media Conference in Kampong Simee, Ipoh Timur, on Thursday, 10th January 2008 at 10 am)
Crime knows no race or religion. Its highly democratic and exactly the kind of problems that UMNO-led BN formula is ill-equiped to handle. Its the same with issues like education and other social problems like drugs, social abuse etc.
UMNO-led BN is formulated around race, corruption and religion. If there is no two such factors, problems don’t get solved as well. Its a culture, a philosophy, a way of life. Take those things out and they are impotent to really deal with it.
Cakap tak serupa bikin. Instead of allocating more resources against this sort of crimes, he directs the police to go search for CSL DVDs. He directs the prosecution to jail and fine the peddlars of this specific DVD.
Shameful indeed.
“Multiprong” for the den of thieves refers to how many of their hands that can simultaneously dip into the country’s till.
Typical of him. The lack on emphasis on the essentials, but millions Ringgit on Space tourist project, Monsoon cup, Merdeka bash, Hari Raya open house (100,000 guests as he claimed). Say not money for the essenials.
INSECURITY – that’s what people who live in Malaysia are facing every day and every minute.
It does not come as a surprise anymore when someone is mugged or involved in a crime, as the victim. In fact, it’s almost a miracle if you are not a victim of a crime, violent or not violent.
Crime occurs everywhere – inside your home, in front of your home, outside your home, in a car park, inside a toilet, in a shop or a shopping complex/mall, in a hotel or a campus, along a street or highway, on the beach – well, you name it, people had encountered crime there.
Gone are the days when people, especially ladies and young children, can walk casually by the side of a road or in pasar malam.
Gone too are the days when we can go camping on a beach by the sea.
People are scared and look for gated communities or camping sites. But then the gates too cannot prevent crimes from happening!
So, is Malaysia still a carefree paradise?
Victims of crime should sue the sleeping internal security minister for RM 1 quadrillion each. Bet the bugger thinks a quadrillion has only 4 zeros
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080109/ap_on_re_us/katrina_flood_lawsuits
Not only is the internal security minister so efficient in fighting crime, as finance minister he is claiming to have kept inflation down at TWO percent
I dont blame Uncle KIT for saying its just the sleeping PM GIMMICK for the coming GE..It is almost 5 years AAB in office and what he pledge during his appointment as PM never happen.. IS HE BUILDING A CASTLE IN THE SKY? moreover the crite rate INCREASE? what is wrong here..i hope everyone can make the wise choice for the coming election..SERIOUSLY WE NEED A CHANGE…half a century is enough… As we can see all over the world.. opposition start to take over the lowly government… Therefore it proves to be that the WORLD SOCIETY wanted for a CHANGE… i hope it does happen in MALAYSIA….Uncle KIT…as what you’ve said you’re going to visit few places…take care no matter where you are… i believe all the bloggers here dont want similar tragedy to happen like what Pakistan has faced… Good Luck Uncle KIT.. GOD BLESS~!
If MCA and Gerakan Ministers are caring enough about our Country and the future of our Next Generation, don’t be “Bohsia” anymore, come and join force with DAP, PAS and PKR to solve all the Problems, once and for all !
Last night at around 9.30pm just in front of BB Plaza, my friend was replying to an urgent sms. Before she could complete her sms text, someone came from behind and grabbed her handphone and ran off. All this happened in a crowded place along the Jln BB main road and with 3 uniformed policemen about less than 10 feet away from her. The policemen just stared at her while the thief ran off home free. When she told me the next day about what happened to her last night, I asked her if she had lodge a police report. She said “what for, its not like the police is going to do anything about it, even when it happened right in front of them in full view, they did nothing”. The last time this same friend of mine went to the police station to report about another snatch incident, the policeman taking down her statement was trying to date her instead of staying focus on the case. Is this the sort of thing we get for giving them a pay hike.
corruption is also a crime thus it adds up.
1. someone bought a super duper jet to go holiday
2. someone bought a submarine at super inflated price
3. some ppl screwed up the pkfz
4. some ppl screwed up the Lumut dockyard
5. the list goes on and on and on and on
No one can deny that the crime rate is rising sharply.Just look at the worry and fear registered on the faces of people about late night going out.I do not think at the moment PDRM can help to dispel our fear over our safety wherever we want to go.Until now they cannot even bring to book those responsible for fixing the spy cameras on CSL.So what are they for?
Election Gimmick!
Today (10/01)on the front page of the New Straits Times ….
I THOUGHT I SEE “HIDDEN MESSAGES”
‘The PM was right to release the crime index as it shows that the government is indeed being TRANSPARENT.’ quoted a Former Police Management Director
‘If the relationship between the public and the police is STRAINED or estranged, the vital source of information to solve crimes is LOST…’ quote Deputy IGP
–AN ADMISSION INDEED OF THE WEAKNESSES IN OUR LEADER AND THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT —
‘it’s TIME for the public to discard the ‘TIDAK APA’ attitude and JOIN the police in fighting crime.’ quoted an Association Chairman.
–IT’S TIME FOR THE PUBLIC TO DISCARD THE ‘TIDAK APA’ ATTITUDE AND JOIN THE POLICE TO REMOVE THE WEAK LEADERSHIP –(FIGHTING CRIME)
Few years back in Sabah, Kota Kinabalu. Police had done a wonderful job.
A richie rich guy(around 20+ yrs old) killed a girl in the apartment he rent to her, in weeks time, police arrested him and sued him murder. they manage to caught him because the suitcase he baught leave a trace for police.
Wonderful!!
But why nowadays police force is not as efficient as before? Is it the criminal is much more smarter than before, or the quality of police force that bad?
Crime happen around the world, US blame most of the crime to African-American, Sabahan blame it to Philipinos and Indons, how about in West Malaysia? i don’t think the Police force know nothing about where is the source, or else, it really shameful to all PDRM force.
Do I still need to pay my tax to pay your salary?
I don feel like paying it, becaust the PDRM and the whole government efficiency is not worth it!
wait wait
one thing is efficient
getting summons to all ordinary, but done a little wrong civilian!!
haha
that one they very good at!!
CRIME RATE UP 13.4%
REMEDIAL ACTION … MORE COPS, MORE CCTVS, MORE PATROLS, MORE POLICE STATIONS translated INTO MORE TAX-PAYER MONEY … THUS RISING COST OF LIVING …. THUS MORE CRIME…
WAY TO GO FOR REDUCING CRIME RATE…
OPP SORRY… WE much be TALKING ABOUT SOLVING CRIME HERE…
I was wondering if the BEST TRAINED police (“we want to attract the best and retain the best” quoted PM )could not solve the Mongolian Murder case, the Lingam case and the lastest “Who shoot the Video” DR Chua’s case, what makes them think they could solve (remember all these crimes had video taping !!!) the extra 13.4% with their new CCTV.. maybe more high-tech HDTV footage, better resolution so we could with 100% surety to prove like say DR.Chua is really DR.CHUA…self admission is not a proof, or is it?
— One more, if the police is serious in getting in depth with the DR Chua case …. they should have blocked the hotel and get some forensic expert to look for evidences instead of going after and charging all those small-timers phono-DVD sellers and in the process “encourage more crime” by charging HUGE fines! —
C’mon STeP down … leave the shoes that’s too BIG for you !!
Saudara Lim,
I feel that Barisan Alternatif, if it is still known as that (PAS, DAP & PKR) should start issuing statements as one and offer all of us an Alternative when issues like these(high crime rate) are mentioned.
There is definitely a growing swell of support for change but we cannot afford to miss the boat again this time.
I’m sure if BA wins the elections and forms a govt, our country will not fall into chaos. Assurance of such should be given.
As an example, the Selangor State Govt through a local English daily printed a double page of what they have done for the state. I’m sure if a BA State Govt is to be in power, all those projects will be continued and more be done based on promises made before the elections.
All I am requesting is a type of “shadow government” so that voters can decide wisely.
The reason for this mess is because the police force is performing at 20 % capacity. Look at New York: it was the crime capital of the US but in a short time, good police work had made NY a relatively safe city today. Without meritocracy, when idiots and incompetents get promoted, how to improve? Just look at the judgement written by a federal court judge when he was in the high court; how did such a lazy and incompetent judge get into the federal court?
Exactly,when mediocrity,apathy,laziness,over emphasis on materialistic achievements,corruption rule and reign,what can the poor rakyat expect from PDRM and the judiciary?
AAB holds three important portfolios in the cabinet – either he is a superman who does all the three jobs well or he is out for easy big fat salaries and conning the nation.