I'm back home in KL for 3 weeks for the event of planning and celebrating my brother's wedding. Whilst it is good to be back to civilization (note : super-fast internet), there is something rather alarming happening in Malaysia that is annoying me greatly. That would be the spike in crime rates, especially targeted at women. Coming back from Yangon, Myanmar - a place where people carry kilos of cash in black plastic bags and nonchalantly leave it on the bus aisles while going on their ride without blinking an eye - I find this sudden "heavily unsafe zone" which we all call Malaysia very discomforting. How can a country as poor as Myanmar be safer than our "developed" Malaysia? Or am I disillusioned somehow, having lived away for the last 5 years? Has Malaysia moved backwards? If so, nobody sent me the memo.
The reports after reports of robbing, raping, slashing, etc.. - whether on social media or in the mainstream newspaper has caused major concerns for my parents. It feels as if my being home isn't so welcomed and causing them more stress. I'm NOT happy about that of course. I mean, I don't particularly want to choose this celebratory period (bro's wedding and all) to pick a fight with them about me being an adult and all that jazz. I can understand, as parents, surely they worry. Everyone's been telling them how unsafe the country is! But you see, Mom always over-worry and over-react. However, when even my Dad insists on sitting under our ciku tree and telling me that I may only go out running as long as I make a loop around the house every 3 minutes, I thought that was ridiculous! Now, my Dad had always been someone who doesn't worry and he trusts that we are independent and smart enough to know how to handle ourselves and whatever situations we get in. Seeing him under that ciku tree as I make myself dizzy running round and round and round to make it a 15km training for me, I had no chance of enjoying my run. Eeeesh!!
Before contemplating writing this article, I wasn't so sure if it was in my place to say anything since I don't reside in the country. But then, all my friends and loved ones do and I worry about their safety too. From my parents to my business partners - mostly females - who has to go traveling alone most of the time and we all don't get the luxury of traveling in pairs or in a group always. Obviously, I do not want anything untoward to happen to any of them. Or towards my running & cycling buddies who used to train with me together when I was still living in KL (in fact, we were actually attacked by a group of mat rempits once when out cycling at Mont Kiara).
Well, I am also still a taxpayer and a registered voter. So I have this to say.
Today, 6th July 2012, in The Star, pg 16, Malaysia's Home Minister (no need for me to name names, right?) said "There was no surge in crime but rather a shift in interest in the type of street crimes..." He also said "We do not hear much about snatch thefts now...." Errrr.... HELLO?? HELLO?? Earth to Malaysia, Earth to Malaysia! It is also the mainstream newspapers that are reporting all these crimes that are happening in the country! (although in the same papers today, names of shopping malls have been ommitted). Why don't you block off coverage of such news and so all the rakyat can live in blissful ignorance?
That is beside the point actually. The point is - it is not a matter of whether there is a surge in crime rate or there is a change in "types of crimes" - it is a MATTER OF FACT that people DO NOT FEEL SAFE and are constantly looking over their shoulders when out and about on the streets. I can tell you this - my Dad is someone who BELIEVES that walking or taking the public transport builds character and even if I said "I don't know how to use it", his response would be "Learn." But today, he is volunteering to be my full-time chauffeur throughout the period whilst I am in town. On top of that - he is willing to do so FOC. So, YOU tell me now, if the country is safe or not? Or is it simply that my parents are over-reacting, my friends are over-reacting? Everyone I've been meeting up with are all over-reacting? If so, I need to meet different groups of people. Really.
I think my girlfriends and the public at large are all doing their part : We are :
- as best as possible, going around in pairs / groups
- looking left, right, behind, everywhere - wherever we go
- basic 101 safety tips as provided by The Star (again :P)
- avoiding being alone in dark, deserted areas
- avoiding running alone before sunrise - which is extremely annoying for me
- letting people know where we are, what time to expect us, etc..
- sitting under ciku trees to keep an eye out on daughter who insists on running alone - after sunrise
- THIS LIST GOES ON.
So, now that we are doing our part (I think we always have been) I think it is now time the authorities and rightful parties to play THEIR part. Or we could simply hope to force them to do so.
Until they do, I don't think it is too idealistic for me to ignite a SELAMAT 1.0 copycat version of BERSIH, right? We could make the theme colour red. And we could start small - aim first of all to avoid going to the shopping malls in town until the management have publicly declared all the steps they have taken to ensure customers' safety - including working with the PDRM (if they can so be trusted at all since our own Home Minister is in so much denial) to catch the criminals. You see, to what I think, as long as people are still willing to sit in the damn jam every evening or weekend to get into the malls would only make the management think that "Hah! People are still flocking to my mall! Woohooo!" Unless, they are suddenly met with a ghost-town-like mall one fine day, then only will they sit-up straight. Very simply, in my idealistic mind - loss of customers = loss of profit / disgruntled tenants.
*I quote Ms Dawn Jeremiah here - a recent victim of attempted snatch theft : "You would think that despite the recent series of unfortunate incidents in shoppingmalls throughout the Klang Valley that at least one mall would step up to launch a safety awareness campaign and to take steps to raise their security levels. Not one has been doing it."
* I did not verify the story on social media, however - point is, what she said was true : Not one has been doing it."
You may think that it is so easy for me to suggest that because I don't live here. Everything we need is in the mall these days! Well, get in, get what you need and get back out. Get a friend to drop you off and pick you up and return the favour the next time. Ta Pao food back home. Or simply spend the one hour eating and leave. And if you ladies really want to do some de-stress shopping, go with friends in one car. Whatever it takes.
I know it is a tall order but if we could all unite for BERSIH in the name of free and fair elections for the future generation, why can't we unite for SELAMAT in the name of safety for all our loved ones - both females and males, young and old?
I have a week left in Malaysia and if you asked me, honestly, I'd rather live in a country with slow internet than to live in a country where I can't run alone at 4am in the morning. Worse off, I don't want to train outdoors in a country where the sound of approaching bikes or cars get you all tensed up, ready to pounce or sprint. Forgive me for not being here to fight this good fight alongside you because I do have commitments back in Myanmar and am unable to stay longer. You could always just ignore my rants and continue looking over your shoulders everytime, everyday. Or you could suggest something better and more realistic. I do admit, I am always hopeful and idealistic.
Till we are able to pressure the authorities to fight crime - Stay Safe Always.
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