Despite groping incidents, security still lacking in mall's car park

Police arrested a 20-year-old food delivery rider on Wednesday in connection with two cases of alleged sexual assault that took place at the Tamarind Square business park in Cyberjaya the day before.

But Tuesday’s incidents were not the first in that particular car park. Four months earlier in late December, another woman was molested at the same place, believed to be by the same person.

The first incident prompted calls for the management to instal more closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) in the area, and ramp up security.

But despite pledges from the management to do so, checks by Malaysiakini indicated otherwise.

While the management said it had installed more CCTV cameras which helped in identifying the suspect, Sepang district police chief Wan Kamarul Azran Wan Yusof told a media Whatsapp group that the CCTVs did not record the alleged sexual assaults.

Instead, the suspect was spotted on footage from other areas of the business park and was identified based on the descriptions given by the victims in their police reports.

Located in the centre of Cyberjaya, the car park at Tamarind Square is easily accessible as it is free and not gated.

During a visit to the business park on Wednesday, Malaysiakini observed that there were no CCTVs overlooking the car park in the basement and several entrances leading into it. 

In Block A Level 1 of the parking basement, where one of the incidents reportedly occurred, only one CCTV was spotted, which overlooked one of the lifts. 

Malaysiakini noted that CCTVs placed in the escalator entrances of all three levels in the parking basement only covered one of two entrances, resulting in many blind spots.

These CCTVs were also placed inside of the entrance into the building and did not appear to face the car park.

At the time of the visit, the car park management office appeared to not be operating and Tamarind Square’s management office, located next door, was also closed for a lunch break.

No guards were spotted patrolling the car park during the visit, however, a worker confirmed that a guard would patrol the basement once every few hours. 

Malaysiakini also found no panic buttons in the car park.

Malls step up security after Canny Ong case

Security in most shopping malls increased following the abduction of Canny Ong 19 years ago.

Ong was abducted on June 13, 2003 from the basement car park of a Bangsar shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur.

Four days later, police discovered the charred remains of the 28-year-old IT analyst who had returned from the United States to visit her sick father.

She was believed to have been raped and brutally murdered before her body was torched.

A forensic investigation led to the arrest of Ahmad Najib Aris, who was executed in 2016 after 13 years on death row. 

It was reported that the complex more than doubled its CCTVs throughout the premises after Ong’s abduction, including installing panic buttons and customers may request to be escorted to their cars in the mall or nearby parking areas outside the mall. 

Sunway Pyramid was also among the first shopping centres to have auxiliary police officers on patrol. 

As for Tamarind Square, the apparent lack of security measures is despite vows by the management to ensure the safety of its patrons.

In a statement in December last year - following the first molestation incident - the management said it would tighten its security and patrolling system around the mall as well as include a designated women’s parking space and panic buttons in strategic locations. 

On Wednesday evening, the management also claimed to have expanded CCTV coverage and increased security in recent months and assured that more security guards have been deployed. Other safety measures were still in progress, it added. 

“At Tamarind Square, we have worked hard to create a safe environment for all our customers. CCTV coverage has been improved and expanded, particularly in car parks and blind spots. 

“More security guards have been deployed as required to constantly patrol around our premises. Installation of panic buttons at strategic locations as an additional safety measure is in progress. And we assure you that we will work harder to increase the security around our premises,” the management said in a statement. 

Tamarind Square has also refuted claims that it has been silent about the sexual assault cases and claimed that the police advised management to lodge a report against a Twitter user for spreading fake news which alleged that it had not addressed the matter.

When contacted for comment on Malaysiakini’s queries regarding the state of security, the management responded with the statement from Wednesday.

Visitors willing to pay for better security

For visitors to the business park, the benefit of free parking is something they would be willing to give up for better security.

“We pay for parking in (other) malls anyway so why can’t we pay for it here? If it is the same (rate) as other malls, I would be fine with paid parking,” Kriti Aman, 20, told the news portal.

Another patron, Gavin Tan, 25, said he too wouldn’t mind paying if it was within the average price of parking in Cyberjaya.

Meanwhile, Sepang MP Mohamed Hanipa Maidin urged the authorities to ensure an increase of security measures in the area.

“If it is true that this issue involves a lack of security guards, I hope Tamarind Square can take immediate and appropriate action to address the problem.

“Taking into account that SK Cyberjaya 1 is located close to the location, I hope to call on the authorities to increase the level of security in the area and its surroundings. 

“I believe the Sepang Municipal Council that is headquartered in Cyberjaya and its council members are doing their best to settle this issue,” he said when contacted. 

Hanipa added that he has arranged for a meeting with Tamarind Square’s management and Cyberjaya police to further discuss the matter. 

Wan Kamarul, on the other hand, did not blame the management for its lack of security measures.

However, the Sepang police chief agreed that if such measures were in place they could have prevented the sexual assaults.

“Yes, if CCTVs were covering the area and guards were everywhere, surely the suspect would not have committed the crime,” he said. 

CCTVs alone, however, are no guarantee that untoward incidents would not happen.

In 2012, entrepreneur Chin Xin-Ci was the victim of an attempted kidnapping at The Curve mall in Mutiara Damansara.

She managed to escape as her abductors slowed down when trying to exit the car park.

It was a year before police managed to arrest one of the abductors. - Mkini