Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Johor Police Disagrees on Crime Rate in Johor - Targeting Singaporeans

Crime and Johor are synonymous. Even Malaysians will admit to that. But the Johor Police, long embattled on the state of affairs with regard to safety and security in Johor, seem to be on the defence - against the Singaporean media.

Firstly, let's disect the facts:

1. The police claim that there have only been 19 cases of robbery involving Singaporeans from Jan to Oct this year. Have they considered that many affected Singaporean victims may not file police reports? Why wouldn't they report it? Simple, because the system and beauracracy is so bad that people spend hours at a police station making a report, talking to an officer who, in most people's experience, seems to have an attitude of disconcern and helplessness. So, people don't file reports (unless they lose their IC, or something that requires an insurance claim) because they feel that more hours are wasted and only because criminals in Malaysia are hardly ever caught, go on a wanted list etc., and even if they are, the penalty is so light, they will be set free after 6 months for something like a snatch theft. So what is the point?

2. The Police claim that about 850,000 Singaporeans enter the state monthly. If you calculate this, the Police are saying that 28,333 Singaporeans enter Johor each day & 1,180 every hour. These figures do not make sense. If that is the case, the causeway and the Johor immigration will be packed, even if there are 4 people in a car, that would be 295 cars per hour.

Impossible. There are many hours in a day when there isn't any traffic on the causeway, except returning Malaysian cars.

28,000 Singaporeans enter Malaysia each day, I wonder if the economy is so good that 28,000 Singaporean workers can take the day off to visit Johor - to do their shopping at Giant or Carrefour.

Are the figures a fabrication? Maybe, or maybe not. But considering that the quality of police officers that include secondary school dropouts and people without diplomas or degrees, perhaps they have miscalculated or wrongly analysed the data.

That aside, the fact is that crime in Malaysia is high. Horrendous crimes involving rape, murder and assult is high, especially in Johor. All Johorians, especially those in Johor Baru will tell of how fearful they are and how many times each of them have been a victim. In most places, you will be a victim, perhaps once. In Johor, nobody is spared. The old and frail are targets by cruel and vicious opportunists.

If the police says that this isn't true, then they, like the rest of the government are in denial, and hope for change is pointless.

The police have the cheek to say that this year, there have only been 14 cases involving Singaporean vehicle thefts. ONLY 14 cases? It plainly shows that the police think that 1 less case is "progress".

They probably botched the numbers, and they want to believe that their prevention efforts are paying off. Gosh, I wouldn't be so quick to cheer. It's only 1 less case.

Best for people in general to stay away from Johor - until some people come to their senses.



Quoted in the Star:

Johor cops dispute Singaporean media reports on crime
By FARIK ZOLKEPLI

JOHOR BARU: Only 1.4% of crime cases in Johor this year involved Singaporean victims, said Johor police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff in refuting reports by the island republic’s media.

There were only 19 cases of robbery involving Singaporean victims from January to October this year, compared with 44 cases during the same period last year.

“Between 830,000 and 850,000 Singaporeans enter the state monthly, and only a handful are victims of crimes,” he said, adding that Johor police wanted to refute Singaporean newspaper reports that implied their citizens were being deliberately targeted.

DCP Mohd Mokhtar said that only 26 cases of intimidation against Singaporeans were recorded so far this year, compared with 47 last year. There were only 14 cases of vehicle thefts involving Singaporeans this year, while last year showed only 15 cases.

“Criminal cases involving Singaporean victims are on a decline this year,” he said, adding that the state’s crime prevention efforts were paying off.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Oh Pak! Oh Pak Lah...

Good gosh, what planet has he been living on? Anyone can be PM in Malaysia? Not even competent to know that:

1. The constitution states that the Head of State must be Malay
2. The Rulers have in recent weeks stated their stance, clearly for Malay rights
3. UMNO stalwarts insist that Malay rights are paramount on UMNO's agenda
4. Son In Law Khairi Jamaluddin is clearly a Malay Ultra
5. The general Malay population in Malaysia are not likely to accept a non Malay leader, or even a Deputy PM who is non Malay. This is clear based on what has gone on in recent weeks in Selangor and previously to that, general statements made by Malay leaders, influential or not.

Pak Lah seems to think that he can use this to raise the hopes of the minorities in Malaysia and to buy himself some political mileage local or foreign. Wrong!

Even Marina Mahathir, a fairly enlightened person had only this to say "Say what? Not sure what Planet he is living on".

Goes to further reinforce the general sentiment about such things happening in Malaysia.

Thursday November 6, 2008
Abdullah: ‘Anyone can be PM’

PUTRAJAYA: It is possible for anyone from a minority group to be a nation’s leader, even in Malaysia, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi.

“It is up to the people to decide, just as the Americans had done through the democratic process,” he said while extending his congratulations to Senator Barack Obama.

Reporters had asked him in the Parliament lobby yesterday if it were possible for a person from a minority group to become Prime Minister in Malaysia.

Monday, November 3, 2008

Ketuanan Melayu - Concept Becoming Questionable by Malay Leaders

Finally, some sensible words from an UMNO leader on the matter of Ketuanan Melayu. Little else needs to be said of what the non-political and open minded Malays think of the concept.

Truly, it's a concept, not so much a reality. It is only real to those who wish it to be real. Unfortunately, racial supremacy is a thing of the past in the globalised age. It died with Hitler but lives on in small pockets in society.

Zaid not going to apologise for Ketuanan Melayu statement
October 3, 2008 (The Star)

KOTA BARU: Former de facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has hit back at three Umno supreme council members for asking him to apologise over remarks that he made about Ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy).

Stressing that he would never apologise, Zaid said it was because he loved his Malay race that he recommended open competition be allowed to ensure the race could compete with others in a globalised age.

“I am not surprised by the reaction of some Umno leaders especially since they have an ongoing party election,” he said in a statement on Monday.

“I am a village boy from a poor family, not an aristocrat or royalty. I want to see the Malays succeed in economy and education.”

Zaid said he was not questioning the special rights of Malays as enshrined in the Constitution.
He said the new model that he recommended was based on openness to ensure young Malays closed ranks and cooperated not only with other races in the country but also foreigners.

He named Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Syed Albar, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassin and Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib as the three supreme council members.

Zaid had pointed out recently that the Malay supremacy concept had failed and distracted from the real issues confronting the country.

He said on Monday that he hoped Malays could differentiate between leaders who thought of their interests from those who only used the name of Malays for political mileage.

He said the concept of Malay supremacy had a negative element that was racist and implied that
they only wanted to become masters without knowing how to struggle or be responsible.

He added it was not a clear reflection of the race and such an image weakened them.