KUALA LUMPUR - It looks like the gangland-style shootings have not stopped despite Prime Minister Najib Razak's government hammering through a slew of archaic and draconian laws to combat crime.
Just a day ago, a man was gunned down while he was driving along Jalan Teratai 32 in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor.
According to the NST , the victim was found dead in a Proton Perdana car with bullet injuries to his head at 8.25pm.
The victim has not been identified yet but Seri Alam police chief Superintendent Roslan Zainuddin believes he was in his 30s.
The deceased was shot 4 times at close range, said Roslan, who said police were still investigating the case. The police chief does not discount the possibility the incident may be gang-related.
The 'Mexico' next to Singapore!
Opposition politicians, who have come down hard on the government for pushing through amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 that will make the archaic law even more oppressive, extended their condolences to the victim's family.
But they also pointed out that the latest assassination proved their point.
"It is not harsh laws, or tough laws or draconian laws. To me, Dr Mahathir is talking off the top of his head. He is not looking at the reality but posturing with a hidden political agenda to intimidate the Opposition with the new laws," Tan Poh Lai, the PKR Johor Bahru chief, told Malaysia Chronicle.
"What the ordinary people in Johor need are more police on the ground doing patrol work, keeping public order, monitoring public safety and investigating crimes. It is so obvious to everyone here we don't have enough cops on the job. I have people coming to my service centre demanding help and complaining at how they have been robbed, extorted or their property vandalized. This is why Johor is now being called the Mexico next to Singapore. It is so embarrassing for us to be regarded as a crime capital. and to rub salt to the wound, we are the ones who have to suffer the most from the criminals here."
'It's for their own good'
Poh Lai, an established lawyer, was referring to comments made earlier today by former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad.
"I think that the country, for the time being, needs that kind of harsh law. The moment we removed the law (ISA, EO), we saw what happened," Mahathir had told reporters.
"People are not that developed or educated to appreciate that the law is for their own good."
Malaysia has been hit by a spate of violent crime in the past few months, which the authorities have blamed on the repeal of several laws such as the Emergency Ordinance and the Internal Security Act, which allow for detention without trial for indefinite periods of time.
The Opposition have slammed the revival of such laws as being against human rights and accused the Najib administration of using the spike in crime as an excuse to do so.
They believe Najib and his coalition want the harsh laws back in place to intimidate and suppress dissidents, civil society and political rivals.
Malaysia Chronicle
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