OCTOBER 12 — I will never forget that fateful day: it was a day before ‘Raya’ when two young men with parang (machetes) stormed into my parents’ house, almost physically attacked my dad, grabbed whatever they could and left with a motorbike. It happened in a split of a second at a time we least expected it. It was horrible. Traumatising. Indescribable.
Only those who have experienced such event can grasp what it means to be robbed and assaulted in broad daylight while neighbours around helplessly watch.
That was not too long ago. Before that, an Indian family who lived in the same block too was robbed and attacked during the day. The robber had so much courage that not only he injured the woman with his knife but also caused a big commotion in front of the house while people were around, staring and standing.
Some tried to interfere, but to no avail. Following the incident and until now, there have been regular attempts of break-ins at a number of houses in the neighborhood every few weeks or month.
When I told my friends these stories, we had a good laugh because instead of discussing the issue, we ended up comparing whose neighborhood was suffering from more thefts and break-ins.
Recently, a close friend of mine was in the car when a motorcyclist stopped next to her at a traffic light, broke the window and stole her bag containing money and computer.
Few weeks later, another friend had the same fate.
Again, after a couple of weeks, a colleague shared her experience of having her bag snatched on the road and when she complained to her mother-in-law, her answer was, ‘Oh, you are lucky it’s the first time for you. I already experienced that three times!’
Back to the first story, even though the shocking incident left us traumatized for at least several days, what disappointed me more was the reaction and response showed by the policemen.
Right after the two men fled we called the police and it took them longer than it should have, to arrive. When they finally did, I realised that I was disillusioned, thinking that the police could give me a sense of relief.
The officers spoke to us in a manner that was highly unprofessional. There was no sense of urgency or seriousness. I asked them if there was anything we could do since the two robbers might not be that far away and we managed to get the plate number.
One of the police officers lazily shrugged and said, ‘There’s really nothing we can do. There are too many similar cases nowadays!’
Hearing that disappointing answer, I could not help but wonder if that was a right response by someone who was supposed to hold the honour of protecting society. I closed my eyes and imagined a newly diagnosed cancer patient coming to me for treatment only to hear me saying, ‘Sorry madam, there’s really nothing I can do for you. Cancer is on the rise!’
It surely does not make sense. In fact, such answer would only reflect my incompetency and ignorance, along with the failure of the health care services.
I dread thinking of how the situation would be in the near future, given that our country is already one of the most unequal nations (in terms of wealth distribution) in South East Asia and that many other economic and social challenges are yet to be overcome.
As a parent, the last thing I want for my kids is to inherit a life so volatile and vulnerable.
So the inevitable question comes: Are we Malaysians safe? Some studies show that the number of crimes is soaring and that Malaysians in general are feeling more and more insecure. Look at the daily newspapers and TV; the headlines are often crimes. Look at the social media, the most popular news people share is usually something pertaining to crime.
Even if there are reports saying otherwise (that crimes are decreasing), I can bet many people will only raise their eyebrows and snicker. How are we supposed to believe that the rate of crime is going down when real life is showing the opposite?
What is more worrying is that crime statistics (even if it shows an upward trend) may still not reflect the actual figure. This is because there is always under-reporting.
Not everyone reports to the police what they experience for many reasons: if they consider the crime not big enough, or if they think no action will be taken anyway, or if the crime has sensitive issues attached to it.
I personally have encountered many people who admitted that they did not bother reporting, thinking that the police would not do much to help and that the reporting process itself was a hassle.
Recorded cases might comprise only ‘the tip of the iceberg.’
Besides under-reporting, not all crimes reported will eventually be included in official statistics.
According to ACP Amar Singh Sidhu in his article The Rise of Crime in Malaysia: An academic and statistical analysis in 2004, ‘...there is still always a gap between officially recorded criminality and real criminality’.
One of the reasons for this according to him is: ‘Official statistics on crime and criminals are also highly dependent on the diligence and accuracy of the different branches of the criminal justice system. The quality of these statistics is subject to the limitations and biases of each branch. Police statistics are limited to offences detected, reported and recorded. Statistics of the Courts and correctional institutions are even more limited.’
It is a well-known fact that there are many reasons for the soaring crime rates. They include urbanization, disintegration of social fabric, prosperity with unequal distribution, abandonment of religious and moral values, unemployment and so forth. It might be unfair to conclude that crimes are solely caused by the loopholes within the security force, or that police should be held ultimately responsible for them.
However, the efficiency and competency of police does play a huge role in reducing crime rates and making the public safer. In developed countries, one can see a stark contrast in the attitude, commitment and efficiency of policemen.
Not only that, police officers in general enjoy huge amount of respect and trust, owing to the importance of their job.
I have many other stories (of my encounter with policemen) which I may not share here as I fear that readers may misunderstand me. I have not written this article to demonize our policemen or tarnish their image.
I believe most Malaysians share a similar, genuine concern about the current crime rates which are not showing any signs of improvement.
My bitter experience does not mean a generalised assumption can be made to each and every police officer. It would be dishonest for me to deny the services they have provided, the lives they have sacrificed and the achievements they have made.
There are surely many honest and motivated police officers out there who deserve our appreciation and applaud. Unfortunately, some irresponsible ones and the limitation of the police force may have overwhelmed them and given society a false impression that the whole organization is in chaos.
In the end, perhaps one of the most urgent measures to be taken is to revamp the image of our police force.
Nevertheless, the approach needs to be sound. The police needs more and intensive training and education. Their level of competency, efficiency and professionalism must be upgraded. Their attitudes, communication skills and soft skills must be improved to help them effectively deal with the public and avoid misunderstanding.
Transparency, honesty and lack of corruption are other criteria they should adhere to, in order to win back Malaysians’ hearts.
The police force should be constantly reminded of how honourable their duties are, how noble their position is, and the crucial role they play in safeguarding society. With real training, education, good support from management and a transparent system, I believe our policemen will once again regain people’s respect and trust.
Of course, crimes may not be eliminated completely, but a stronger and more efficient security force will solve many problems.
Two years back I was in a police station staging a report. The police officer who was sitting at the desk struggled to spell (type) some of the words I was saying (we were talking in Bahasa) and I had to guide him.
A friend of mine shared her story of seeing a young police officer struggling to investigate a child abuse case in the hospital, claiming that ‘he was only a high school graduate.’ It breaks my heart to see our police in such circumstance, when in fact, they are supposed to be properly educated while enjoying respect and admiration.
Perhaps some of the ‘sad conditions’ of our police force are not really their fault.
What they simply need is more attention, motivation, education, support and training. It is not impossible that if the right steps are taken now, instead of remaining in this pitiable state, our police will one day become the nation’s symbol of pride and honour.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail Online.
