(Petaling Jaya, Thursday): The deteriorating crime situation in Malaysia continues to shock Malaysians with the audacity of criminals to break into people’s homes until burglars broke into the house of former Inspector-General of Police Tun Hanif Omar in Subang Jaya yesterday and escaped with a DVD player and a bunch of keys. Tun Hanif Omar is the second IGP to attract the attentions of criminal elements in three months.  

Two men attempted to break into former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Norian Mai’s home in Shah Alam on 24 July 2007. Until today those robbers involved in the murder of ex-Penang CPO and ex-Bukit Bendera Member of Parliament Datuk Albert Mah in his home in Petaling Jaya in February this year has still not been caught.  

If former IGP’s homes are not safe, how can the homes of ordinary citizens be safe? The police claimed that the crime situation is under control with the crime index rose by on 5.1% for the first six months of this year compared to a 15.7% rise in 2006. However if VIPs and police personnel are not even safe from robbers the reduction in crime index is meaningless. 

What is more worrying is the increased incidence of rape. In the first six months of this year, there were 1,507 cases of rape as compared to 1,186 for the corresponding period last year – an increase of 27.1%. This works out to 8.2 cases of rape per day in the first six months of this year as compared to four cases a day in 2003 and 6.7 cases a day in 2006 – another shocking index of the worsening crime and fear-of-crime situation in the country, bearing in mind the high percentage of unreported cases of crime.  

In other words more than 8 women are raped every day in Malaysia – an unacceptable statistic that is both horrifying and repugnant. The police must give priority to reducing rapes by at least 50% for the next six months, failing which extending the tenure of IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan would be a failure which the government must be fully responsible.  

Ensuring the 4 basic right of security – to live, work, study and play in a safe environment

There must be three urgent measures to restore public confidence in the police’s ability to combat crime and ensure the four basic rights of security to every Malaysian – to live, work, study and play in a safe environment.  

First, DAP urges the government to establish the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission(IPCMC) as recommended by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Police. Only the IPCMC can check police abuses and improve police integrity and performance so that the people in Selangor, Johor and Malaysia can live, study, work and play in a safe and secure neighbourhood free from crime.  

Two, the government must be prepared “outsource” by seeking help from successful police agencies from other countries, including Singapore. The government must spend whatever amount of extra money required whether RM 5 billion or more in emergency allocations to form a fighting police force that is competent, courageous, sensitive and committed to fighting criminals. The people have a basic right to a crime free environment as taxes have been paid to form an effective police force.  

Third, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should give up his Internal Security Ministry Post so that there can a full-time Minister handling the job. So far the Prime Minister had not even visited crime-prone areas where children have been raped. In England the Home Secretary would immediately at a crime scene and even direct police operations to make an area safe from crime.   

Appointing a full time Minister who can make immediately inspection tours to check on police performance should spark off an attitudinal change by the police in admitting the seriousness of crime and their failure to stop rampant crime.  If Abdullah refuses to give up the internal security ministry then he should create a new Minister of Crime Prevention that focuses on effective crime prevention and ensure the 4 basic right of security – to live, work, study and play in a safe environment.