THE escalation of crime and criminal activities have become a major concern for all Malaysians. The daily crime occurrences and the resulting trauma experienced by victims bear testimony to this.
There is hardly a day that goes by without a crime being committed in our community. Crimes pose a significant threat to public safety. Many of these crimes and violence are perpetrated by young criminals.
With the prevailing economic uncertainties, poverty and unemployment, coupled with the worsening drug problem and criminal behaviour among those who crave ill-gotten gains, crime continues to occur. It is crucial to address this issue effectively.
As law enforcers, this is a challenging time for the police, and they must use all available means at their disposal to fight crime and protect the public.
Despite its success, the police should relentlessly pursue its anti-crime agenda and redouble its efforts in fighting and preventing crime.
The occurrence of crime serves as a reminder that people should never take their safety and security for granted.
We should not view this development negatively in terms of crime prevention, on the contrary, we should look at it from a positive perspective.
The fact that crime is a major concern for Malaysians reflects the growing public consciousness of the need to fight crime and adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards it.
It also indicates that Malaysians want to see more efforts taken to tackle crime and that it is not taken lightly.
All Malaysians should be actively involved in crime-prevention activities in their communities and neighbourhood.
More Malaysians should participate in crime-prevention programmes and activities initiated by residents’ associations, trade organisations or other non-governmental organisations to increase awareness about what can and should be done to prevent crime.
The ultimate objective is to instil or inculcate a crime-prevention culture among members of the community so that no one will take safety for granted.
The fact that crime is still a major concern proves that we can by no means rest on our laurels.
Continuous and relentless efforts must be made to address and fight crime on all fronts.
The police need to achieve a higher crime-solving rate by enhancing their performance and implementing improved intelligence and information gathering to zero down on their target.
In the area of crime, public perception holds significant importance. Frequent media reports about crime occurrences may not necessarily improve public perception.
It is crucial to remain consistently aware of how the public perceives crime and explore ways to not only foster a positive public perception but also to enable the police to gain public trust and confidence. This can be achieved by demonstrating that the police force is professional and carries out its duties with integrity.
The fear of crime can threaten the well-being of our communities. It can affect all races and does not distinguish between race and gender.
It is time for all Malaysians to stay focused in their determination to fight crime, beginning with awareness and the need to be always alert to our surroundings.
In short, the public must always be vigilant, never take safety for granted and not provide opportunities for crime to occur as well as heighten awareness about crime prevention.
Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye
Chairman
Alliance For A Safe Community
