The rising rate of crime with kidnappings of young children, murder, robberies and snatch theft in the first 2 weeks of 2007 requires immediate steps to increase at least 60,000 police personnel to fight crime in line with Interpol’s 1:250 commensurate with the RM 15.2 billion losses in crime in 2004

Speech at DAP Rasah Baru Branch Dinner

by Lim Guan Eng

(Petaling Jaya, Saturday): The rising rate of crime with kidnappings of young children, murder, robberies and snatch thefts in the first two weeks of 2007 requires immediate steps to increase at least 60,000 police personnel to fight crime in line with Interpol’s recommendation of one policeman for every 250 citizens( 1:250 ) commensurate with the RM15.2 billion losses from crime in 2004. Today we read in the newspapers of a 38 year old mother and her nine-month old baby in coma after being attached by a snatch theft in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur.

The police is trying its best to reduce and check crime. But obviously its best efforts are not enough because of insufficient staff. Malaysia's current ratio of police personnel to the population is far lower than Interpol's requirement of 1:250 or one policeman for every 250 people, whilst the ratio in Malaysia was 1:1,573 or one policeman for every 1,573 people.,

Malaysia needs at least 60,000 extra police personnel to conform to Interpol standards of one policeman for every 250 people. The government would need to spend billions of ringgit but DAP supports such expenditure because it is our inalienable right as citizens to live in a safe society free from the threat of criminals. Apart from the pain of loss of life and limb, it is also cost-effective as the nation suffered losses of RM 15.2 billion from crime alone in 2004.

However Malaysia’s present figure of 1:1,573 is even lower if calculated on the basis of crime-fighting police personnel. From press reports, there are only 8,000 police personnel in the CID to make our streets safe for 26 million Malaysian throughout the country or 1:3,250 that is only 1 policeman for every 3,250 people catching criminals. The 8,000 policemen involved in checking crime is ridiculous as there are many times more than 8,000 criminals in the country.

With crime spiraling out of control in our cities where students are killed on the streets for their handphones, slashed with parangs for RM 2, openly robbing and carting away the entire ATM machines from banks which are supposed to be very well-guarded, how much can 8,000 policemen do?

Such pessimism and distrust in the performance of the police is borne out by the latest national crime index rising by an alarming 12.6% over the first nine months in 2006. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili revealed that there were 170,481 crimes reported from January to September 2006 as compared to 151,444 crimes reported for the same period last year.

In other words, the ratio of 1 policemen for every 3,250 Malaysian is too low. The Royal Commission of Police recommended an extra 35,000 men be redeployed from other services in RMP for crime fighting purposes. This will beef up the crime-fighting unit to 43,000 men or 47% of the present police force of 92,000 men.

With 43,000 men fighting crime the ratio would be 1 policemen for every 605 Malaysian, a much more reasonable ratio for the police to effectively fight crime and closer to Interpol’s recommended 1:250. Only by increasing police personnel in crime prevention from 8,000 to 43,000 or 47% of the police force, can the people feel safe that the police are serious in catching criminals.

Malaysians can not wait for the 60,000 extra policemen which would probably only be achieved by 2020. Malaysians have a right to demand extra protection now and the only way to achieve that is by redeploying personnel from other sections of the police force, especially the Special Branch. Why does Special Branch need up to 7,000 personnel in the absence of the Communist threat? Would not these personnel be better utilized if half of Special Branch personnel are transferred to patrol the streets to catch criminals then spy on law-abiding citizens or disrupt peaceful and orderly meetings held by opposition parties or flood victims protesting against poor rescue and relief efforts?

(13/1/2007)