Death threats and the MIC

 16 January 2008

Death threats and the MIC

Time to wake up to face the realities

The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) assemblyman for Tenggaroh, Datuk S. Krishnasamy, was gunned down at gunpoint publicly in bright daylight. Its president, Datuk Seri Samy Velu, revealed that the victim had received death threats prior to his assasination.According to Samy Velu  such death threats are common for politicians, he himself having received such threats before. In a matter of a day or so, it was reported that another senior national MIC leader, received a call saying he was next on the hit list. 

Such acts of violence to settle disputes are uncivilized and barbaric and must be strongly condemned by all in and outside the government. There can be no justification for anyone to take the law into their hands for whatever reason. The police and other law enforcement agencies must come hard on such people or parties regardless of who they may be.

Having said that it is pertinent to ask what is happening to the MIC, the sole component in the Barisan National (BN) coalition representing the Indians? Are these death threats and assassination politically motivated? We would like to think otherwise, but going by the events that have unfolds in the last couple of months, it may drive one to think in the affirmative.

The MIC leadership and Samy Velu, who had been at the helm of the party for over 25 year, have serious credibility problems at hand which they must address with great urgency. They must come out of the state of denial and face the realities on the ground; the Indian community is beginning to lose confidence in the very party that was in their blood for over 50 years.

Why is this so? The main reason is that the party leadership had taken the people’s trust for granted too long, so much so they are losing touch with the grassroots. The Indian Community being small as it is cannot afford to be divided. It has to be represented by just one party which has been the MIC and there is no reason why it should not continue to do so. What is needed is change within the party to make it relevant to the Indians once more. Whether the Indians like it or not they have to accept that fact and ensure that the MIC works well in protecting their rights and promoting their interests. If they find it is failing them, then they must strive for change within the party.

At the same time the leadership must be more open to dissenting voices not stifle them. They should be more receptive to change for the betterment of the community as a whole. Healthy dialogue and debate should be encouraged; talented and capable younger leaders allowed to rise up the ladder of hierarchy without favoritism or prejudice but based purely on merits. Nepotism, an evil that eventually brings self-destruction, must never be allowed to take roots in the party for whatever reason.  

What is going on in the country should be a wake up call to Indians to face the hard realities of life, especially in a multi-racial and multi-religious country like Malaysia. There is a need for   them to change their mindset; from being dependent on government handouts to becoming self-reliant in all fields. They should be energetic and quick to grasp the opportunities available to them. They should not blame others, but themselves, if they do not succeed in a country that has abundance. 

Dr.Chris Anthony

 

 

 

 

More commitment needed to fight crime

We need more commitment not gadgets 

 

We share the concerns of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, over the crime situation in the country which is far from ideal. We commend his personal involvement in fighting this menace which is threatening the peace of Malaysians. The increase in crime rate by 7.12% last year is frightening and a cause of worry for all.

 

Not a day passes without some gruesome crime being committed. I wonder what our country is really coming to. We can hardly go anywhere without fear of assault, robbery, rape and even murder. Even being caged in the home behind locked doors, grilles, expensive alarms and security guards does not seem to protect us from these criminals. Crimes are increasing by the day and we do not see signs that they will be brought under control anytime in the near future. The police and other law enforcement agencies appear to be ineffective in bringing the situation under control.

 

The Prime Minister’s personal involvement and his four fast-tract steps to fight crime is an admission of the gravity of the situation which has become very critical. These steps include the installation of Closed Circuit Televisions (CCTVs) in high risk areas, re-employment of retired police officers, hiring more civilians to handle police administrative duties and setting up more police stations in crime prone areas.

Of late there has been so much emphasis on CCTV as though by installing them would itself prevent crime. There are plans in the pipeline to spend millions of ringgit on installing these monitoring devices all over. This would only further burden the already financially strained taxpayers.

With CCTVs installed in strategic locations, we may help to reduce crime to a certain degree but we must not be carried away that it is a fool-proof way of preventing crime. Apart from being costly, there is also the question of their maintenance, which is always a problem in our country. Then there is also the problem of vandalism which is a common cause of damage to public amenities. Will CCTVs escape the wrath of vandals? What is the use if after investing millions of ringgit to install CCTVs they are not functioning when we really need them?

Even if the CCTV was in good working condition and we have recorded a crime, we need to further interpret, identify and trace the person who had committed the crime. Following that he/she has to be charged in court and proper punishment meted out in accordance with the law. The most frustrating thing is that many criminals may go scot-free after the long and arduous process of trying to bring them to justice.

The most important factor that is needed to effectively fight crime is not technological sophistications but the simple human factor – genuine commitment on the part of the people in general and the police force in particular. CCTVs and all the technological advancements are only tools to be used in our fight against crime; the most vital component is still the commitment of the police force. What we need is a police force that is adequately manned, professional, dedicated, disciplined, independent, non-corruptible and people friendly. These pre-requisites must be there firmly on the ground before any sophisticated tools can be used effectively to achieve our targets.

We may easily acquire all the latest high-tech methods and equipment but without the whole hearted commitment of the police, they will only go to waste. I am afraid what we lack is this whole-hearted commitment on the part of our police force.Delibrate attempts must be made by the government, the police and all concerned parties to ensure that these prerequisites are there on the ground, otherwise all the sophisticated and advanced gadgets that we acquire are not going to bring the desired effects in our fight against crime.  

Dr.Chris Anthony

Attack on police a wake up call

Citizens living in fear

The slaying of two detectives by gunmen recently is a reminder of the sorry state of affairs in the  Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM).The  Inspector General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Musa Hassan should be more than furious over what is happening - escalating crime that is becoming increasingly uncontrolable,corruption among his men even at high levels, inefficiency and now a fatal attack on his own forces. It has been a week now and yet none of the police murderers have been caught which is enough to speak volumes for its effectiveness. The public confidence in the police force is at its lowest ebbs in decades. 

We can be sure that they will be in full force on November 10, to stop, often brutally, harmless but concerned citizens who will gather peacefully to demand for electoral reforms, organized by the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (Bersih).

The death of two trained and experienced policemen is definitely a great loss to the nation especially coming at a time when the country is facing such a high crime rate that is threatening the peace and harmony that we were enjoying all these years. It would be great setback to the efforts of the police to stop the escalating crime.

Whether the unfortunate police raid was conducted properly and what really went wrong is for the PDRM to investigate in a professional manner and take remedial measures to overcome any shortcomings there may be. What is important is not who is at fault but rather what has happened, a very serious crime in the form of a well planned attack on the police. It is equally important to ask why it occurred. Were the police raids well planned and coordinated and adequate precautionary measures taken?

It is also timely that to review the protective measures like the use of bullet-proof vests and bullet–proof patrol cars. Definitely these will go a long way to reduce the deaths among members of the police force while carrying out their on duties. There should be no hesitation in providing adequate protection for our men in blue however costly it may be. On the contrary it would be grossly unfair and even negligent to deny them these for whatever reasons.

This fatal attack on the police should be an eye opener for the police force. It is a sign that all is not well as far as public security is concerned. When armed criminals can fatally strike at the police, I dread to imagine what they could do to ordinary citizens. Who would dare come forward to lodge complaints against criminal activities?

The numerous complaints from the public on the fear created by the escalating crime is not unfounded and it is time that the authorities take these grouses very seriously. Not a day passes without some gruesome crime being committed and we wonder what our country is really coming to. We can hardly go anywhere without fear of assault, robbery, rape and even murder. 

We have reached a critical state where people are living in fear even within their own homes behind heavily locked doors, grilles, sophisticated alarm systems and security guards. Even being caged in such heavily fortified homes do  not appear to guarantee security for them and their families from  criminals who seem to be better organized, equipped and even armed.

Our crime-busting authorities must take public complaints very seriously. They must devise ingenious ways and means to counter crime more efficiently and effectively. They must ensure that law and order prevails at all costs, failing which will only result in thugs taking over the running of the country.

 Dr.Chris Anthony