Press Statement

by Lim Guan Eng

(Petaling Jaya, Wednesday): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should be tough on crime as well as tough on police failures to stop crime by drawing up a National Crime Prevention Plan to keep our children safe. DAP expresses deepest condolences and anger at the senseless murder of Lee Kean Yip in Wangsa Maju near the TAR (Tunku Abdul Rahman) College where he is a first year accountancy student.

Any parent can understand the grief of losing an 18 year old son who was a filial son and a brilliant student with 11As during the SPM last year. And his father Lee Mook Kwai spoke for all parents when he said the police should patrol the area well to deter snatch thieves to ensure that his son’s death would be the last at the hands of snatch thieves in the area.

Clearly the police has failed to do their duty to parents who cannot be there to protect their children. Kean Yip was attacked by two snatch thieves in Jalan 27/27B in Desa Setapak, Wangsa Maju about 8.30pm on 29 July 2006 and died minutes after the incident. Another TAR student and snatch theft victim Pang Kah Wai, 23 was attacked about five minutes after Kean Yip’s murder in the same neighbourhood.

Whilst MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting may mean well in getting Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow and Federal Territory Ministry parliamentary secretary Yew Teong Look, who is Wangsa Maju MP, to talk to students at the college on how to protect themselves in high-risks areas, such measures are superficial and ineffective and do not go to the root of the problem.

This is like locking the stable doors after the horses has bolted. As long as there are robbers around and the police fail to do their job, no one is safe. Talking will not solve problems when it is police action that is needed.

A more concrete suggestion was put by MCA Youth chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai that the wing's Vanguard team would deploy about 100 members to patrol high-risk areas at night. But how many unsafe and high-risk areas can MCA Youth Vanguard team members patrol when this is the job of the police. And by doing so is this not an admission that both Datuk Fu Ah Kiow and the police has failed in their jobs?

The time has come for the Prime Minister in his capacity as Internal Security Minister to act now and fast but drawing up a New National Crime Prevention Plan that can make our children safe and the streets safe for Malaysians to walk. DAP proposes that the Prime Minister be “tough on crime, tough on police failures to stop crime”.

Those involved in crime must know that crime does not pay. Similarly the Independent Complaints and Police Misconduct Commission(IPCMC) must be set up to stop police failures to stop crime by taking action against abuse of powers, corruption and dereliction of duty.

Just as there can be no compromise with criminals, there can be no forgiveness for police who fail in their duty to prevent crime whether due to corruption, negligence or dereliction of duty. Inspector-General of Police, YDH Tan Sri Mohd. Bakri Bin Hj. Omar in his Police Day Message on 25 March 2006 said that violent crimes constituted 14.6% of 157,459 criminal cases in 2005 with the remainder being crimes against property. Snathc thefts recorded a drop of 16.63% last year as compared to 2004. Crime solved was  48.45% in 2005(highest since 1969) compared to 46.46% in 2004.

If the situation is so rosy as painted by the police, why are our children being slashed and murdered on the streets for the little money they possess. The police should examine themselves closely that such violent crimes continue because of their failures. DAP calls for an increase in salaries and benefits in police personnel to make them more motivated. At the same time, stern enforcement action must be taken against police who are corrupt or neglect their duties.

That is why a national crime prevention plan must be drawn that focuses not only on those who commit crime but also on police failures to stop crime, whether they are violent crimes against persons or against property, to ensure not only foreign tourists feel safe to visit Malaysia but Malaysians feel safe for our children to walk the streets.

(02/08/2006)