DANGEROUS MALAYSIA, where nuns are bashed & all the PM can do is say it's 'APPALLING'

God forbid, but suppose what happened to the two elderly, defenseless, spiritual women of the catholic faith happened to a VVIP’s women folk or someone close to a high ranking politician, what would be the reactive scenario?

While we ponder over that question with equal frustration in our hearts, here are some soul searching truths that need to be addressed with a national will for affirmative and decisive redress.

The prime minister of Malaysia has responsibly made a statement in the wake of the brutal bashing of the two religious and elderly citizens of Malaysia. His posting, calling the crime inflicted on the two nuns within the sacred compounds of a place of worship as “appalling” and “senseless” could not be better expressed.

The police have swung into action as expected of Malaysia’s law-keepers. But it will take a bit of convincing the outraged public that it is a “robbery”.

The fact that the two CCTVs’ out of the over a dozen fencing the church was not working is not a mistake. It only affirms Murphy’s Law, i.e. between two wrongs that can go wrong, the worst will happen first as nature has a tendency to side with the flaws in any system.

But let us focus on the crux of the mater.

When will the govt and cops BUCK UP?

The issue that needs be urgently addressed here, Mr. Honorable Prime Minister and Chief of Police, is how far worse will we as a nation of citizens and leaders let things go on before we buck up and make our nation a safe place by comparable standards, to call home?

To say that crime is inevitable may sound realistic but it certainly is unacceptable if we as a nation want to be labeled as a progressive nation of people and governance.

To adhere to that principle ‘crime is preventable’ is what benchmark’s a developed and forward looking nation from struggling governance.

The citizens of Malaysia have been very cooperative. They have taken all the advice dished out by the powers that be all these two decades trying to take personal responsibility for their safety in their own land.

Today everyone is struggling to have roofs over their heads within ‘gated and guarded’ property developments. CCTVs have become even an imperative necessity not only at business premises but even within places of worship.

Pad locks are not enough. We have prison-gated our dwellings and public places with iron grills and steel and high-walled fencing. And the standard add-on feature is alarm systems to boot too.

Women do not clutch handbags these days. They have to carry plastic bags, leaving fashion statements to the rich and protected VVIPs.

Safety is a basic right of the people

With this case of brutalizing two elderly, helpless, religious women, the nation must in a responsible community spirity now ask, will statements of empathy do?

We have to ask, will investigations and finding the culpable criminal be the end-all solution every time we are faced with such brutal accounts of life threatening insanity on our streets, within our places of worship and work and in our own homes?

Whether this brutal crime against the nuns is an act of zealotry or sheer desperate street robbery it must be dealt with subsequent to professional police investigation and findings.

Justice must find its voice and weight. Dignity must be restored.

Yes, the religious leaders and their faithful will proclaim that forgiveness to the individual or individuals who committed this vicious attack will not be held back. That is their testimony and hallmark of their faith in action.

But it does not absolve the government of the day from its very basic duty of safety and security to its citizens who have through the democratic process cast their trusted vote for the political party/parties to govern.

We must not lose sight of the fact that all citizens of this nation have a right to a safe environment.

If despite following all the advice of the authorities and spending so much of our hard earned income of beefing up safety and crime deterrent measures, we still remain exposed to such threats to our lives, then we as responsible partners in nation building must hold the government of the day responsible.

Najib on watch: Don't just empathize, take action!

Mr. Honorable Prime Minister, citizens are watching you now closely.

They will expect you to go beyond words of compassion and empathy. They expect decisive policies and action plans to drastically cut back the crime rates.

Ultimately, crime prevention is a standard of categorical imperative that must be met at all costs.

The season of merely admonishing with warnings of “do not speculate” or “we are investigating” is seeing sunset in the hearts and minds of citizens who have put up with so much of heart rending accounts of uncalled for crime.

Even the regular dishing out of “we are seeing a slight drop in crime” statements by our authorities is no more an assurance nor a consolation as the growing perception is that crime is widespread and that preventive measures are not a national priority.

Will the government under the leadership of Najib Tun Abdul Razak rise to the challenge and deliver or will citizens be challenged and asked to shut up?

Let this brutal attack on these two Malaysian women who are helpless by their age and fragility, and virtuous by their vocation be the last in our history. Failing which, we must then hold each one of ourselves – both citizens and leaders, political parties in power and authorities in service, collectively accountable for the inability to bring about positive change to our nation in so far as crime prevention goes.

For if there is a will there is way! - Mailbag