THE release of criminals under the now defunct Emergency Ordinance (EO) has increased crime — a possibility that cannot be dismissed, said Selangor Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) adviser Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam.
"The rising crime rate in Selangor shows there is connection to the release of criminals under the EO. Those released are known to be dangerous individuals, it would not be surprising if they've been involved in recent crimes," he told The Malay Mail yesterday.
"Statistics may show certain criminal activities have gone down, but that's because people are not reporting them. So, we cannot say for sure that crime has dropped. The police must define what serious crime is. For most people, getting robbed and being injured are serious to them," he said.
He was responding to statement by Selangor deputy police chief, Senior Asst Comm Datuk A. Thaiveegan on Saturday that rising complaints of Selangor crime levels may be a result of the mass release of suspected criminals from Simpang Renggam detention centre following the EO repeal.
Thaiveegan, however, subsequently stressed police need to first study if there was a link between the release and the increase in crime.
Navaratnam, who is also Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) Centre of Public Policy Studies director, said scrapping the EO was a reasonable move under the human rights movement, but questioned how this problem was going to be tackled.
When asked if the EO repeal was connected to the recent spate of violence against women, particularly in shopping malls, Navaratnam said he did not dispute it, and that a rating system should be introduced for shopping malls.
"The police and the public should form a committee to grade shopping complexes and malls in terms of security, convenience and even pricing. This will help malls compete with each other to offer the best service for customers," he said.
He also called on the government to better equip the police force.
"The police force must be given enough manpower, technical support, equipment and logistics if we want them to bring down crime. They must be given the same level of resources as in other developed countries," he said.
Last week, Navaratnam reportedly said there could be more than 2,000 former detainees roaming free in Selangor which he believed contributed to the recent rise in crime.
http://www.mmail.com.my/story/rising-crime-rate-selangor
"The rising crime rate in Selangor shows there is connection to the release of criminals under the EO. Those released are known to be dangerous individuals, it would not be surprising if they've been involved in recent crimes," he told The Malay Mail yesterday.
"Statistics may show certain criminal activities have gone down, but that's because people are not reporting them. So, we cannot say for sure that crime has dropped. The police must define what serious crime is. For most people, getting robbed and being injured are serious to them," he said.
He was responding to statement by Selangor deputy police chief, Senior Asst Comm Datuk A. Thaiveegan on Saturday that rising complaints of Selangor crime levels may be a result of the mass release of suspected criminals from Simpang Renggam detention centre following the EO repeal.
Thaiveegan, however, subsequently stressed police need to first study if there was a link between the release and the increase in crime.
Navaratnam, who is also Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) Centre of Public Policy Studies director, said scrapping the EO was a reasonable move under the human rights movement, but questioned how this problem was going to be tackled.
When asked if the EO repeal was connected to the recent spate of violence against women, particularly in shopping malls, Navaratnam said he did not dispute it, and that a rating system should be introduced for shopping malls.
"The police and the public should form a committee to grade shopping complexes and malls in terms of security, convenience and even pricing. This will help malls compete with each other to offer the best service for customers," he said.
He also called on the government to better equip the police force.
"The police force must be given enough manpower, technical support, equipment and logistics if we want them to bring down crime. They must be given the same level of resources as in other developed countries," he said.
Last week, Navaratnam reportedly said there could be more than 2,000 former detainees roaming free in Selangor which he believed contributed to the recent rise in crime.
http://www.mmail.com.my/story/rising-crime-rate-selangor
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