Two ghastly news within 24 hours –the robbery-cum-murder of Thor Joo Lee, wife of former Penang State Assemblyman for Bukit Tambun, Lai Chew Hock at her Tambun Indah house in Penang and the robbery of Datin Chang Lee Lee, wife of former Penang Exco and Pulau Tikus Assemblyman Datuk Dr. Teng Hock Nan in her Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman house in Penang.
These two cases of robbery (and one murder) of the wife of two former Penang Assemblymen are horrible reminders of the terrible costs being paid by Malaysians for the failure by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to heed the important recommendation of the Police Royal Commission to establish the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to create an efficient, professional and world-class police service to keep crime low in the country.
As a result, it has become an important factor why Malaysia is losing out in the international competiveness stakes to other countries in attracting foreign investment as low crime, personal safety and security of property always rank as one of the top considerations for any foreign investor in the important decision-making process whether to invest in a country or not.
I have no doubt that Malaysia would have broken the back of the worsening crime problem if the IPCMC had been fully accepted and started functioning from May 2006 as recommended by the Royal Police Commission, making Malaysia a safe haven not only for Malaysian citizens, but also for investors and tourists.
Abdullah has failed as Home Minister for eight years from 2001-2008 as he presided over a worsening crime situation in the country with Malaysians, investors and tourists unable to feel safe whether in the streets, public places or in the privacy of their homes.
The current Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar is also heading for another dismal failure as a Home Minister as he has not been able to inspire public confidence that his No. 1 responsibility is to reverse the rising tide of the crime index in the past decade to make Malaysia a safe country for her citizens, investors and tourists.
In his more than six months as Home Minister, Hamid has shown that he has a completely misplaced sense of priorities, misusing and abusing his powers whether under the Internal Security Act or in threatening newspapers with show cause notices.
After the Barisan Nasional’s “thrashing” in the March 8 general election, Abdullah had pledged to implement his many abandoned reform programmes, one of which is police reform and the establishment of the IPCMC.
There have been no signs in the past six months that the government is prepared to present in Parliament an urgent bill to set up the IPCMC without any delay.
Abdullah seems to be totally overwhelmed by the battle to fight for his political life instead of making life safe and a quality one for Malaysians, tourists and investors.
Malaysians have a right to demand that Abdullah and Hamid stop dilly-dallying and be serious about the intolerable state of rampant crime in the country, jeopardising the security of Malaysians and frightening away tourists and investors to Malaysia.
Let Malaysians get a clear-cut and forthright answer from Abdullah and Hamid – are they going to honour the pledge to establish the IPCMC immediately without any further delay?
Or is the IPCMC dead so long as there is a Barisan Nasional government and the only way an IPCMC could be established is to have a Pakatan Rakyat federal government?
Lim Kit Siang
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