Lee Lam Thye
KOTA KINABALU: The Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) suggests that the proposed recruitment of 4,000 police personnel per year should be increased to 5,000 to cope with the annual population growth and to bring about a better ratio of police vis-a-vis the population.
Its vice-chairman, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, said with the present strength of 110,000 police personnel to the present 28 million population, the existing police population ratio is about 1:270.
He also said that strengthening the Police Motorcycle Patrol Unit by 5,000 vehicles over the next five years is very essential in order to beef up security not only in housing estates in the urban areas but also to expand the unit to the semi-urban and rural areas.
Lee said the MCPF welcomes any constructive effort to further boost public confidence in the police in addressing not only the issue of crime but also the factors that lead to crime.
Besides the economy, he said the issue of public safety and security must be given the highest priority by any government as this is a key determinant to national stability, peace and well-being of the people.
Lee stated this in a statement yesterday when responding to the Barisan Nasional manifesto to expand the police omnipresence to help fight crime in the country.
“The MCPF fully supports the intensification of efforts to curb the influx of illegal foreigners into the country.
“The people have always been concerned about crime involving illegal foreigners and efforts must be made to prevent their entry into Malaysia in order to ensure there is no repetition of incidents similar to that of Lahad Datu,” he added.
In this regard, he said more resources must be given to beef up the Immigration Department to curb the entry of illegal foreigners.
The MCPF also supports the proposal to enrol an additional 50,000 Police Volunteer Reserve (PVR) to assist the Royal Malaysian Police in patrolling and keeping our streets safe.
Lee said the 50,000 PVR can contribute towards a multi-racial police force to address crime and reach out to all Malaysians to seek their co-operation in the fight against crime.
“We also welcome the installation of more safety features such as CCTV to keep our streets, car parks, schools, night markets etc safe with the help of the local authorities,” he said.
The MCPF also suggests that the recruitment of additional police personnel should also incorporate measures to improve the existing police training programmes, particularly on the aspect of acquiring communication skills so as to ensure better communication and interaction with the public. One important issue that needs to be emphasized in the fight against crime is the drug menace.
As a substantial percentage of crime offences in the country is drug related, Lee said it is therefore necessary to address the drug addiction menace and review the efforts made so far to tackle the drug addiction problem.
“A suggestion that must be looked into is to provide employment opportunities by both the public and private sectors to rehabilitate drug addicts so that they can be self-reliant and eke out an existence without having to become recidivists,” he said.