"SNATCH THIEVES" AT THE FRONT GATE

Well, this is the first time I witness a snatch thieves or you should call them snatch robbers. I was playing badminton with Lee Ling in the front garden of the semi-detached house I am renting currently at Taman Sentosa, Johor Bahru. A lady occupant who just moved in was planning to go out and apparently had booked a cab. We were playing just beside the front gate while she went out to wait for the cab. Then, came a motorcycle with two people. They definitely looked more of the Pakistani-Indian complexion to me. They just stopped at the front gate where she was. The person sitting behind came down with a knife. It is like a kitchen knife used for cutting fruits, 15cm long blade. She surrendered her handbag to them. We thought it was her friends because she did not shout. If she had, she may be stabbed. It happened very fast in merely 3-5 seconds.

I was preparing my badminton racquet to protect us if they ever plan to come in through the gate when I saw the knife. Luckily for her, the handbag only had her cosmetics and beauty tools like combs. She had her wallet and handphone in her pocket. She only shouted at them when they were about to leave. I was thinking even if she shouted early before they could come to her, I really don't know how I would have reacted. If I had opened the gate to go out with my badminton racquet, I could endanger myself as well as Lee Ling as I opened the gate. Would I just stare inside as she surrendered her handbag to them? I still can't find an answer myself.

Well, this teached me a lesson never to judge any person as potential snatch thieves or robbers. The person sitting behind can easily hide a small knife inside his jacket or something. It is around 6:45pm and it was still not yet night. They were extremely brave eventhough we were playing badminton there to come and rob the handbag. We just have to be more careful especially when preparing to come down to open or close the gate to enter the house. You should never show off your handbag in the open, especially if you have to walk at the road side.

Johor Bahru is not known as the capital city of crime of Malaysia for nothing. I'm sure you heard of the latest news of the international drug ring which was busted just two days back in Johor Bahru. The drugs are worth RM48mil and over 46kg of heroin, 1,980 Eramine pills, 11,316 Ecstasy pills, 0.37kg of syabu and 1.54kg of ketamine. You can only get such high profile figure in the capital city of crime in Malaysia.

The Star