JOHOR BAHRU, CRIME CAPITAL WITH MORE COVERAGES

I just don't know whether to laugh or not. How can the police say that there are fewer criminal activities during an economic recession? It just doesn't make sense and even a primary school kid can tell you that it is beyond logic. The fewer crime activities reported is a sign that people are losing far more confidence in the police.

I live in Johor Bahru and I know the police are reluctant to take your police report. In fact, when you call them, they can come 30 minutes later despite the HQ just 5 minutes drive away from my location. Therefore, many people are just tired of them. If they are robbed, they just let it be. There will be no conclusions whatsoever even if the police comes. Many cases are never solved and just left there idle forever.

Roadblock is the most stupidest idea of lowering crime rate. Let's be pragmatic. If you are a criminal on the run and you see a super long jam upfront with police roadblock, will you be a dumbass and go into the roadblock? You will of course change your course and run. It is not effective at all because stupid roadblocks always create super long jam, from a 4 lanes wide road they can block it till it is just 1 lane. All the normal users of the road like me suffer like shit.

Patroling? I see them mostly hiding at road junctions, traffic light junctions, especially the one entering the immigration. I see many of them standing around in the immigration enjoying the airconditioning. A big drop of 1,201 cases or 14%? Right! Only a kindergarten kid will believe you.

JB crime under media glare again

KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 — Four recent high-profile incidents have put Johor's crime situation in the spotlight, despite police data showing fewer criminal activities in the first few months of this year.

The four cases have attracted much attention because they involved a Cabinet minister, a political secretary and even the Johor Baru South police chief.

And in another much-reported case, a pregnant woman died when she fell from her motorcycle after her handbag was snatched by another motorcyclist.

In an incident on Wednesday, police shot dead five foreigners who had robbed the family of the political secretary of Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Johor police chief Datuk Mokhtar Shariff had a scary story to tell of the robbers who formed the Geng Bonding (Bonding Gang).

“They are suspected to have committed 22 violent robberies in Kota Tinggi, Simpang Renggam and Johor Baru since last January,” Mokhtar was quoted by Bernama as saying on Wednesday.

But police in the state have not been idle, having added more men and patrol cars and setting up more roadblocks in the last one year or so, officials said.

“There have been more roadblocks lately and I can see more police patrolling the streets now compared to before,” a long-time JB resident, who did not want to be named, told The Straits Times yesterday.

The crime situation in Johor had prompted at least one blogger, Scott Hong, to focus on crime issues in the state in the last four years.

When officials said the robbery involving JB South police chief was an isolated incident, Hong wrote: “Of course the case... is 'an isolated case'. Usually, the vast majority of Johor criminals rob defenceless, non-police civilians.”

Johor police revealed last month that “index” crimes — such as house-breaking and motorcycle thefts — had dropped to 6,968 cases during the period from Jan 1 to April 16, compared to 8,169 cases in the same period last year.

That is a big drop of 1,201 cases, or 14 per cent.

But hard data is only one facet of the issue because just one high-profile incident could colour public perception for months.

To be sure, crime prevention in JB is expected to receive a major boost when the Iskandar Regional Development Authority launches its safety and security blueprint this year.

Johor Baru MP Datuk Shahrir Samad told The Straits Times that the plan is ready “but I have yet to see the blueprint”.

He added: “I hope it will boost security in the JB region.”

The programmes are to be implemented in the next three to five years.

Shahrir said the public could play their part in preventing crime by organising their own patrol committees and working with the police.

Despite the recent cases, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said that it was unfair to label Johor as unsafe.

Citing the case of escaped terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari, who was caught hiding in Skudai in JB, Hishammuddin said it did not mean Johor was a haven for terrorists.

“Today when we take action against the criminals, we are seen to be unsafe again. If that is the situation, then we cannot do anything,” he told a press conference on Wednesday.

Datuk Soh Poh Sheng, president of the Johor Baru Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told The Straits Times: “To be fair to the police, the crime rate has dropped drastically over the past few months. We could see changes and improvements.” — The Straits Times