Monday, September 11, 2006

For whatever its worth (21)

We read in the papers, we see it on TV, friends talk about it. Yes, besides the hike in cost of living; another alarming rise is the crime rate in the country.

The PM announced recently in Parliament that the crime index for the country for the first 7 months had increased drastically to 11% compared to the same period last year (with Selangor registering 25.25%). Unfortunately violent crimes, rape, murders, armed robberies, besides white collar crimes are slowly but surely becoming part of our daily life.

According to Minister in the PMs Department, Maximus Ongkili, for the past two months KL has seen a 9.5% jump in crime rate compared with the corresponding period last year.



Suddenly we are transformed into a climate of fear beyond our control.

It is no longer safe to walk alone (including under the hot blazing sun), whether you be a man or otherwise. Large parking lot operators suddenly have to hire extra security as robbers and rapist throng these places. It is no longer safe to leave your house unattended, as the likelihood of it being broken into is on the rise. In some cases they even daringly walk into your house and commit crime while you are in them.

Nowadays we dont only hear of bank robberies, even ATM machines that weigh tones are carted off by these desperate scoundrels.

Today we have to be extra sure that our children enter and leave their school premises during school days, at designated times, otherwise they would be prospective victims of kidnap, robbery or even rape and other sexual crimes.

No one is excluded. VIPs, tycoons, politicians, government officer, managers and even factory workers and laborers are all prospective victims of these ghastly beasts.

Suhaini Aznam wrote in THE STAR today:

The first sign of economic downturn is actually an escalating crime rate. Among the locals, drug addicts and the unemployed share the same sense of desperation.
I have to agree, in fact those employed but are pressured by the high and unbearable (to some) cost of living too succumbs to such desperate acts. Recently even police and army officers too got themselves entangled in these hideous acts.

So who to blame?

Sad to say but the government has to share the blame. With such climate in play we have no choice but to be extra careful, but when it comes to economic downturn and escalating cost of living, damn you we have no control, lest you and I sit on the 4th or 5th floor of Putrajaya.

Until and unless something is done to alleviate us from this current predicament of economic madness, just pray hard that you or your loved ones do not become the next victim of the ongoing unmanageable social disorder.

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