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IGP’s neighbour robbed in Petaling Jaya. Time to restructure the police force to put more personnel to fight crimes in the streets
 

Press Statement
by Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew

(Petaling Jaya, Wednesday): “Being the neighbour of IGP Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Omar is no guarantee of security, as robbers strike with impunity. This was what a 40 year-old auditor discovered yesterday” (The Sun, 31 March 2004).

The auditor was robbed off of his Mercedes Benz by four parang-wielding men on Jalan SS23/ 31, Damansara Jaya, Petaling Jaya. The men had entered his house and surprised the family.

To live in fear is the last thing we want in life. Ordinary Malaysians deserve protection just like the VIPs and dignitaries. The increasing crime rate in Petaling Jaya has been one of the issues raised by the DAP in the just concluded general elections. One Canny Ong is bad enough for our society.

The DAP has been calling for the restructuring of the police force, among other positive measures towards a total revamp of the uniformed body. We need a professional, incorruptible and trustworthy police force to fight crimes for all of us. Less than 10% of the eighty thousand-strong police force is actually involved in combating crime is self-defeating and simply unacceptable. This figure was disclosed by none other than the former CID chief Datuk Salleh Mat Som of Bukit Aman. We should reduce the number of outriders and guards for the ministers and other dignitaries, and also downsize the FRU and Special Branch, so that we can have more police personnel to fight crimes in the streets.

The government has a duty to see that the police force under its governance is credible and efficient to provide protection and security for all citizens. The newly constituted Royal Commission must act fast and firm to reinvent the entire police force for the good of the society. The Ministry of Internal Security under Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi must provide the leadership without further delay. A crime-free society should be one of his priorities as a Prime Minister cum Minister of Internal Security.

(31/3/2004)


* Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew, DAP national publicity secretary and Selangor state secretary