SIBU: Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) Sarawak branch chairman Datuk Mohd Naroden Majais approves of having anti-crime clubs set up in every district in the state.
However, Mohd Naroden, who is also Assistant Minister for Entrepreneur Development, said to be effective in fighting crimes, such clubs need to work closely with enforcement agencies like the police, Immigration Department, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and Forestry Department.
Otherwise they (anti-crime clubs) would just remain a club.
“If they have a good cause, all their members are active and cooperate, I think it is a good thing.
“And yes, I encourage these kinds of clubs to be formed as they have good objectives,” Mohd Naroden told reporters after officiating at a state-level ‘Message from Prison’ programme at Sibu Muslim Welfare Trust Board (Lakis) hall here yesterday.
He was asked if the state had set up the anti-crime clubs in each district to help authorities combat crime.
He said once formed, these clubs need to be active and every member has to play his/her role.
On how MCPF Sarawak could assist these clubs, he said they could help organise talks and meetings.
Citing the example of the state-level ‘Message from Prison’ programme, he said this could be rolled out at village or town level besides organising educational trips to prison.
Perhaps A D Leong Bon Huat could be roped in to give a talk, he suggested. Leong is a former convict who has turned over a new leaf and is now a successful entrepreneur.
“But the key thing is disseminating information that crime is not good for society,” he said.
On a related matter, Mohd Naroden said there were 160 schools with anti-crime clubs and the intention was for more schools to have them.
He also noted that a committee had been formed at village level to fight crime with members carrying out nightly patrols.
Earlier in his speech, Mohd Naroden said crime had serious consequences on the community and influenced people’s lives.
Crime has become a hot topic for discussion these days, and concerted efforts were required to curb the complex problem.
“All parties including government agencies, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), community leaders and institutions of learning need to work in concert to assist authorities in crime prevention,” he said.