GEORGE TOWN, Nov 25 — Penang’s critically high crime rate that has resulted in 50 murder cases in the last 11 months shows an urgent need for community policing services, such as the one provided previously by the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state’s voluntary patrol unit (PPS), DAP lawmaker Steven Sim Chee Keong said today.

The Bukit Mertajam MP claimed that the northern state is on the brink of a security crisis, pointing out that, before PPS was banned by the Home Ministry, it had helped the police by keeping vigilance on the community.

“The Home Ministry and the Inspector General of Police, instead of encouraging such voluntary community crime-fighting spirit, chose to take a high-handed action against the voluntary group,” Sim said in a statement.

The DAP Youth wing’s political education director noted that of the 50 murder cases, 31 of the victims were foreigners, in which 18 were Myanmar nationals.

He also highlighted the most recent case in his constituency in which a severed head was found and voiced concern that the police and the government had not stepped up action to deal with the recent spate of serious crimes.

He suggested the police increase their motorcycle patrols in Penang to help residents feel safer.

Sim also urged the government to beef up the police personnel in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to better deal with the leap in serious crimes, reminding Putrajaya that the police themselves had asked for staff to be bulked up to 28,000 officers in 2004.

He proposed the 11,757 new police officers be sent to the CID, noting that the department’s personnel currently numbers 11.4 per cent out of the entire force.

Today, the CID only has 16,062 police officers nationwide.

Sim hit out at Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar for his reply in parliament that the deployment of the new officers will be based on the establishment warrant approved by the Public Service Department (PSD).

“Such a reply is totally irresponsible and reflects a lackadaisical attitude towards the gravity of the situation we are facing today,” he said, adding that the federal government should instruct the PSD to fill the much-needed vacancies in the CID.