Tricia Yeoh
The Sun
30 May 2013

LAST week was the very first time I experienced crime personally in the country, despite having written about it as a policy issue. Parked on the side of the road in a housing estate in Section 5, Petaling Jaya, I made the mistake of leaving my laptop bag on the passenger seat while chatting on the phone.

A motorbike with two riders came by, smashed the side window, opened my car door, and rode off having stolen my laptop and handphone, to my great distress.

That very night, 18 protesters were arrested by the police after failing to disperse at a candlelight vigil for student activist Adam Adli outside the Jinjang police station.

While I very much commend the efforts of the officer and inspector who dealt with my case efficiently, it must be noted that there is a gross discrepancy between what the public sees as efforts to combat street crime versus that of conducting rampant arrests.

Over the last few years, a number of groups have been formed to increase awareness and offer solutions to overcome crime, such as Safer Malaysia, Malaysian Mothers against Crime, as well as similar proposals made by think-tanks such as Research for Social Advancement.

Many of these suggest that the government seriously consider transferring police personnel from units like the Special Branch – which essentially deal with collecting intelligence for political purposes – to the Criminal Investigation Department to increase street patrols especially in hot spots.

That evening when I made the police report, I was told mine was the fourth such case that day with similar accounts and in the same area. If places like these had been marked as hot spots, surely the police could have made arrangements for increased presence in the locations.

The unfortunate result of the police being used for politically expedient reasons is that the public links them with arrests of opposition leaders.

In the last week alone, politicians Tian Chua and Tamrin Ghafar, as well as activist Haris Ibrahim were arrested on grounds of sedition, but were later released as the magistrate decided their detention was without basis. Citizens are all too aware that the police have but little choice in the matter.

There is certainly value in urging for police co-operation in fighting crime, which is workable but only to a certain extent, given the political climate. A more realistic way might be for the community to organically initiate movements of their own, thereafter inviting the authorities to collaborate.

Safer Malaysia, in their document “Visions of Safer Malaysia” (available on their website) plans on implementing an interactive website that would include a public crime map for any citizen to gather information about crimes in the community. Reports and alerts would also be made available to the public.

This would be an ideal use of technology, given the steady rise in smartphones and gadgets.

It must also be acknowledged that an increase in crime is directly correlated with a worsening economy. This is an issue too complex to address in this short space, but suffice to say that the government’s priority should be to increase disposable income of the lower to middle-income groups.

Another proposal from Safer Malaysia is that a convicted wrongdoer must be exposed in the media, to be ridiculed and frowned upon. This may only work if the community collectively places sufficient social pressure against people resorting to petty theft, despite being in desperate socioeconomic conditions.

Finally, many have already noted the role that the Rukun Tetangga community service used to play in the past. This needs to be revived with the support of local councils and the police force, with shared information, maps and schedules of the times in which crimes are most likely to occur.

The private sector can also play an important role by sponsoring increased lighting or additional security measures in a particular area. After the harrowing experience, I would repeat a mantra already often said: leave no bags in sight in the car, and pay special attention to surroundings.

Taking matters into one’s own hands is acknowledging the failure of the system to protect its citizens, but one wonders if there is any other choice.