Crime not ethnic-based, but poverty-based

VOXPOP 'So if the majority of the criminals are Indians, then it simply means the majority of the Indians are impoverished.'

Zahid's open house not spared of gangster scourge

Rubystar_4037: Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, it is really pathetic that you should stoop so low as to give this type of cockamamie story to the rakyat to gain sympathy.

If gangsters really were to ask for protection money at your open house, they would have incurred the wrath of the whole Home Ministry and the police force would have come down on them like a ton of bricks.

Anonymous_3e86: The underworld and the police have their code of ethics - "You don't disturb me, I won't disturb you."

There is a very thin line that distinguishes the police and the underworld. It is the rogue gangsters who try to create trouble without the backing of the underworld bosses who are terminated by either the police or the underworld mafia.

The big-time underworld gangsters are not involved in this 'small time' robbery. Their bread-and-butter is money laundering, drugs, prostitution and illegal money lending (Ah Longs).

Jesse: It sounds like an admission of failure of law enforcement but sadly, instead of providing sound ideas for reform, Zahid pleads for respect for a broken system to which his party has been largely responsible.

Appum: Let's be a little fair to Zahid. The present situation didn't evolve overnight. Former home minister Hishammuddin Hussein has to bear most of the blame for now.

Zahid, you want our cooperation? Sure. Just make sure you do your job wisely and justly. And please don't insult the intelligence of Malaysians when you do say something. We have enough of clownish ministers and their deputies.

Onyourtoes: Effective enforcement and maintenance of law and order do not require extrajudicial laws. Effective enforcement is immediate, continuous, relentless, and uncompromising.

You don't allow a problem (for example gangsterism) to fester, and then only you call in the sledgehammer. You don't enforce the law for one week and the rest of month you go into hibernation.

I hate the periodic operation "this and that". It shows incompetence and stupidity. Enforcement is immediate and imminent. If someone has committed an offence, the arrest, trial and punishment must follow suit immediately and imminently.

The integrity of enforcement agencies must be beyond reproach. They will enforce the laws and punish the offenders irrespective of the status, position and connection of the people involved.

If the police have all these qualities, I will be the first in the queue up to help the police to do their job. Right now many citizens are living in fear of crime and yet they have no respect for the police because they perceive the police as incompetent, corrupt, lazy and partial.

This is my constructive comment. You can do a survey to confirm or dispute what I said.

Taytarek: Even being a home minister, one is not spared the threats of criminal gangs. So what happens to us, the little insignificant members of the public? We cannot even defend our families or ourselves. We are sitting ducks.

Vgeorgemy: Zahid, Malay political apparatus were able to beat communism in Malaysia in 60s and 70s with no sweat. Have you ever sit back and reflect why modern Malay apparatus failed to control some miserable gangsters?

The answer is the corrupted elite who has no regard for rakyat welfare.

Bukit Aman: 71pct of gang members are Indians

Tholu: Crime is not ethnic-based. It is, more often than not, poverty-based. So if the majority of the criminals are Indians, then it simply means the majority of the Indians are impoverished.

Who is to be blamed for their state of destitution? It's the government, of course. With their discriminatory policies towards the Indians in the areas of education, job and business opportunities, it is without a shred of doubt that the government is the breeder of these pathetic and rudderless individuals.

The government should reform itself first from practicing biased treatment of its people based on race before it attempts to reform this wayward section of our society.

Mavelikara: I have an observation that should merit a very thorough analysis. How prevalent was crime committed by Indians 30 or 40 years ago?

Why is that the Indians involved in crime now can be usually traced to the generation that was once working in the plantation sector?

Dark Knight: Yes, the economic factors can explain why crime has increased amongst Indians.

Decades ago, crime was low amongst Indians but, when plantations began to be developed (especially around cities and major towns) and plantation workers chased out, Indian plantation workers had no where to go and became jobless.

They came into the cities and towns with their families and, with stomachs to feed, most turned to crime.

The MIC did nothing to help these displaced Indians; neither did the government. Economic factors such as the total neglect and disregard for the poor Indians are reasons for the high crime rate amongst Indians. - Malaysiakini