http://dapmalaysia.org
|
Perak Menteri Besar should not bury his head in the sand like an
ostrich and refuse to acknowledge that high crime rate is a problem
faced by the Perak State but should commend YB Nga Kor Ming and the
DAP for highlighting the high crime rate in Perak rather than labeling
them as traitors
Media Conference Statement by Ngeh Koo Ham (Ipoh, Thusday): DAP Perak demands that Menteri Besar of Perak, Dato’ Mohd Tajol Rosli publicly apologises to Perak State Assembly Opposition Leader, DAP Pantai Remis State Assemblyman Y.B. Nga Kor Ming for branding him a traitor to the State after he highlighted the deteriorating security and alarming crime rate in the State. The survey now being carried out by Perak DAP indicates that the public are now fast losing their confidence in the police force in ensuring their public safety and solving their cases. Perak DAP acknowledges that are still many dedicated and efficient police personnel in the force but because of the poor management of the police force by the Government, the efficiency of the police force as a whole has become a doubt. Examples of the poor management of the police force are the assignment of too few police personnel in combating crime and the uneven distribution of the police force in the country. The CID Director, Commissioner Datuk Seri Salleh Mat Som was quoted in Star on 3/7/2003 that less than 6,000 of the 85,000 (or 7.0%) police personnel are directly involved in combating crime. The Deputy Home Minister, Datuk Chor Chee Heung has admitted that more than 50% of the police force have been assigned for escort duties, logistics and administration. Our nation’s police to people ratio is 1:270 but in Pasir Pinji, Ipoh the ratio is 1:3255. Pasir Pinji has a population of 140,000 but has been assigned only 43 policemen to take care of the area. Crime rate is high in Perak. Basing on the figures given by Datuk Sri Mohd Tajol Rosli, Perak has 11,170 reported criminal cases for 2002 i.e about 30 cases per day or 900 cases per month ! Decline of reported cases in Perak from 15,696 in 2000 to 11,170 cases 2002 may not be indicative that the police is more efficient. DAP Perak has on many occasions received reports that the police are reluctant to receive reports especially on petty crimes. The people’s experience that the police will not be able to do much have also discouraged many people from reporting to police the crimes committed against them. In the Star report on 5/8/2003, Perak State Deputy police chief, SAC 1 Kamalul Azmi Darus said that out of 889 cases reported in July 2003, the police only managed to solve 388 cases i.e 43.6% of the cases. While we agree that time must be given to the police to solve cases, statistics show that only slightly more than ½ the cases reported in Perak are solved. The rape of a 12 year-old student in Tapah who is now 8 months pregnant as reported in the Malay Mail on 4/8/2003 (Monday) illustrates the sad state of crime prevention in the Perak State. In the said report the victim’s family had lodged a report on 25/5/2003 and they had claimed that the Tapah police had not been very cooperative. After the police report was lodged, the alleged rapist was arrested but was released subsequently. The police seem to accuse the victim of being ‘gatal’ (loose character) and she was in love with the alleged pepetrator ! The alleged pepetrator had threatened to rape the victim’s younger sister aged 11 and burn their house and family if the victim’s family report the matter. The alleged rapist also went to round to smear the victim’s name in public. The victim’s family has to finally lodged a police report at the Federal Police Headquarters in Bukit Aman on 23/6/2003 before the Tapah Police took further action. The victim’s family were cided for lodging the report with Bukit Aman. Only now has the Tapah police decided to recommend that the suspect be charged for rape and will submit the case to the Deputy Public Prosecutor’s office soon. Meanwhile, the victim is 8 months pregnant and her second sister has stopped going to school for fear of hear safety. The alleged rapist is still free and the victim and her family are still live in fear ! Would the Tapah police have acted further had it not for the police report lodged with Bukit Aman and the case not highlighted in the Press ? To suggest or impute any wrong on a 12-year old in a rape case is totally wrong ! To Datuk Sri Mohd Tajol Rosli, please do not live like an ostrich burying your head in the sand. As a Menteri Besar, you should liaise with the police force to see how the solve the high crime rate in Perak. YB Nga Kor Ming and the DAP should be commended for the concern shown with regard to the high crime rate in Perak rather than be labeled as a traitor to the State.
* Ngeh Koo Ham, Perak DAP Chairman |