(Petaling Jaya, Friday): DAP hopes that the new Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan can fulfill the high hopes of aspirations of the public in battling rising crime that has become the new scourge in Malaysian society. The rise in overall crime index as reported by the New Straits Times today by13.2% and violent crimes by 23.8% has spread fear amongst many communities, especially women and children.

Daily newspaper reports of death and injuries by robbers and snatch thieves has only cause greater alarm amongst the general public that the police seemed ineffective in carrying out their principal duty in battling crime. In a reply to Bukit Mertajam MP Chong Eng in Parliament recently, Internal Security Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi revealed that 130,457 cases were reported in the first seven months of 2006, compared with 117,200 cases during the same period last year.  The sharpest rise in crime was seen in Penang, followed by Selangor.

Tan Sri Musa had indicated a five-year plan to improve the image, efficiency and competency of the 92,000-strong force by producing better investigators, more police personnel sensitive to the rights of individual and a people-friendly force. DAP is willing support such efforts if Tan Sri Musa is serious about revamping and overhauling the police force when he takes over on September 12.

As a first step he must return the police force to its original duty and function of fighting crime. 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.

DAP regrets that not enough money is spent in fighting crime. The RM 4.9 billion allocation for the police in the 2007 Budget covers housing accommodation for the police and is not solely for fighting crime. In January, the then Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Seri Chia Kwang Chye said crime was bleeding the country, with losses estimated at about RM15.3bil in 2004. Putting RM 5 billion solely to fight crime may even save the country money but also avoid the pain and sufferings of injuries and death from such criminal acts.

The police should have immediate increase in manpower especially those who are patrolling the streets and fighting crime. Despite having 92,000 police personnel, less than 10,000 of them are assigned to fight crime. What are the 80,000 police personnel doing when they should be fighting crime? The police should have at least another 40,000 men to patrol the streets and fight crime effectively. The time has come to get our priorities right and give full commitment to fighting crime above all other police functions.

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.

To carry out its duties professionally and effectively, the police must win the confidence of the public that it is clean and trustworthy. Tan Sri Musa Hassan can only inculcate a professional, clean, trustworthy and effective police force able to fight crime by distancing themselves from politics and implementing the 125 recommendations of the Royal Commission of Police particularly the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission.

(08/09/2006)