Is KL Street crime really down by 45 per cent?

Source: http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles (By Elizabeth Zachariah, 22/7/2010)

KUALA LUMPUR: The Rakan Cop programme has proved its worth with the ordinary man on the street by helping KL police to reduce street crime by at least 45 per cent in the first six months of this year. Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop said 2,819 cases had been reported between January and June, this year compared with more thanover 5,000 cases during the same period last year. “This proves that the proactive efforts and interactive relationship between members of the public and the police have been fruitful,” he said at the launch of Rakan Cop with the Federal Territory Taxi Drivers and Operators Association on Tuesday.

He said taxi drivers played a crucial role in helping police fight crime as they had access to information on crime that had just happened. He said they could become the “eyes and ears” of police. However, KL police chief Deputy Commissioner of Police Datuk Wira Muhammad Sabtu Osman said only 7,000 of the 27,000 taxis in the city were equipped with radios. “I hope more taxis will be fitted with radios, ” he said, adding that the radios could help police disseminate information easily to taxi the drivers more efficiently. He said it was hard for the 7,000 police personnel to do their job because there were to cover the 4½ million residents in the city, including 2 million immigrants. “That is why we need the co-operation of the public to help us combat crime, especially street crime,” he said.

Sabtu said there were 364,152 Rakan Cop members nationwide, including 84,878 members here.

Read more: KL Street crime down by 45 per cent

Now, let’s hear it from a commoner

Dear YB Lim Lip Eng,

As you are my elected MP and my whole family actually voted for you in March 2008, I thought you should be informed of the worsening crime rate in Taman Lawa and its surrounding area.

Incidents of bag-snatching, house break-in etc are much talked about almost every other day and unfortunately, I have my own to tell.

I was walking on the inner road in front of the row of shophouses on 19 July (Monday)at about 8:30 pm when two Chinese guys in a rundown blue color kapchai approached me from the front. The riding pillion younger guy immediately alighted, raising one hand with a parang and proding another hand out telling me, "Tah-cheong, loh horpau lei." (Robbery, hand me wallet). My immediate instinct was to prevent a parang slash and I spontaneously took out my N73 mobile from the trouser's pocket and gave him. Not satisfied, the other older addict-looking rider asked, "Horpau?"

As I was just walking to a friend's house nearby, I didn't bring wallet nor money. Furious, he demanded to know why I didn't have a wallet despite wearing an office attire. I told and convinced them I was going to give tuition nearby and luckily, they took my words and left me unharmed.

As I ponder after the incident, I am saddened with the fact that taking a walk in one's own neighbourhood is no longer safe. Maybe I should drive but we also hear horror stories of being robbed together with the car as one alight from the car.

I would like to think my experience is not an isolated case and of course, the constituency of Segambut is not the only area with an increasing criminal activities in this country.

Police report? Being a lawyer and MP, I think you know better than me to trust our Polis DiRaja Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

Yours truly,

Tan Chee Kuan

A resident of Jalan 17/42 Taman Lawa