‘Crime rate soaring in Brickfields’

Residents at Scott Central Condominium said that the crime rate has surged in their area after the police moved their headquarters from Brickfields to Old Klang Road.

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite the government’s dogged insistence that crime rate nationwide is dropping, residents in Brickfields, particularly around Scott Road areas, are saying otherwise.

According to the Scott Central condominium’s residents association, the situation has become unbearable.

Committee chairman P Subash said the crime rate has soared in his area since the Brickfields police headquarters was shifted to Old Klang Road.

“Although the Jalan Travers police station is located nearby, sometimes they refuse to take our reports and tell us to go Old Klang Road instead.

“Now we are trying to get support from other condominium managements around this area. We are planning to meet Brickfields district police chief Wan Bari Abdul Wan Khalid to find a solution to their grouses, ” said Subash.

His sentiments was also shared by fellow committee member, Chandra Ram Prakash, 45, who said that many a time passers-by had asked for the condominium management’s CCTV footage to identify the snatch thieves marauding in the area.

“These people have asked for the CCTV footage to pass to the police [to help with] investigations,” said Chandra, who works as a contractor.

He recalled that last month a well-known vegetarian restaurant nearby the condominium was robbed by several men.

“Now people are frightened to patronise the shop. The restaurant is located just about 20 metres away from our condominium,” he said.

Chandra said the situation is no better inside the condominium.

Rowdy youths

He said to date his association had received about 50 complaints of theft and robbery within the high-rise building.

“A couple of months ago, a blind couple living here had their unit broken into by some burglars.

“Last Saturday, an expatriate living here had his laptops and jewellery stolen by a burglar but despite lodging a report, the police have yet to even come visit the crime scene,” said Chandra, who expressed puzzlement over the police’s lack of action.

He said it was now common knowledge among residents in the condominium that the police will drag their feet in solving the cases of criminal activities even if numerous reports are lodged.

“I don’t believe the police will give me justice,” said Chandra, a father of two who has himself been a victim of snatch theft.

Another menace, Chandra said, were the unruly youths who caused a ruckus outside the condominium in the wee hours of the morning.

“We have complained but again the police take no action.

“There are quite a number of expatriates who live here, especially from India. But they are moving away, citing safety reasons. Imagine Indians leaving ‘Little India’,” he said.

People are frightened

Two months ago, Chandra said that his committee had brought up the matter to the Brickfields police in a dialogue session.

“We requested for the police to set up a beat post opposite our condominium but till today nothing has come forth.

“Instead, we had to beef up our security system at the condominium and fork out a lot of money to employ foreign security guards,” said Chandra.

Meanwhile, R Parameswaran, 40, another resident member, said that the soaring crime rate at the area is deterring people from renting a unit at the condominium.

He also said that some of his friends were also reluctant to visit him at his place out of fear.

“Last month, there was a case of some thieves chasing a victim outside our condominium premises. People are just scared,” said the father of three.

Another resident, G Gopa Kumar, 40, said that he was robbed of nearly RM100,000 last year at a petrol station nearby.

“But only one of the culprits was caught but I don’t know what happened next. All I know is that I never got back my money,” said Gopa, who owns his business.