Crime rate under control - Star Metro Perak

21 Nov 2017

Comm Hasnan (right) speaking to members of the media, non-governmental organisations, Rukun Tetangga, Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation and Community Policing Association during a get-together with the state police in Ipoh.

EXCEPT for an increasing number of drug-related cases and commercial crime cases, the security level in Perak is overall satisfactory, said Perak Police Chief Comm Datuk Hasnan Hassan.

According to Comm Hasnan, curbing drug cases, whether it was addiction, possession or trafficking, posed the biggest obstacle for the state’s police.

“The problem is apparent especially in urban areas.

“It is in this aspect that we require the most assistance from you, our crime prevention partners,” Comm Hasnan said with reference to members of the media, non-governmental organisations, Rukun Tetangga, Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation and Community Policing Association who were present for a get-together with the state police in Ipoh.

Police have also taken down over 100,000 pieces of bunting promoting illegal money lending services in the state so far, he added.

“As for other aspects of crime, I am happy to note that the number of gangsterism cases in the state is minimal with most of these cases concentrated in Ipoh, Manjung and Taiping.

“We have also arrested several Daesh militants but rest assured, we are in good hands as our Special Branch is constantly monitoring the movements of those suspected to have links with militants,” said Comm Hasnan.

He added that Perak police were working to further reduce the state’s crime index, especially snatch theft cases, robbery and burglary.

On another matter, Comm Hasnan said illegal gambling had taken on a new form in the country.

“Instead of setting up illegal gambling dens, everything is carried out online with customers using their own mobile phones or tablets to do so.

“Customers download a software and buy credits by transferring money into the bank accounts of gambling syndicates. Winnings are then deposited into the player’s bank account,” he said.

He added that police recorded a total of 23 cases so far this year.

“Of the number, the highest number of cases were reported in the Hilir Perak with eight cases, followed by Ipoh with four cases, three cases in Taiping, and two cases in Manjung.

“Only one case each was reported in the other districts,” Comm Hasnan said.

https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/metro-news/2017/11/20/crime-rate-under-control-however-drug-and-commercial-crime-cases-on-the-rise-in-perak/

Proposal to install CCTVs in front of shops in KL - The Star

2 August 2016

Amin Nordin browsing through the contents of Hello KL e-magazine at its launch at Dataran Undrgrnd, Kuala Lumpur. With him are (from left) Malaysian Association of Tours and Travel Agents president Datuk Hamzah Rahmat and Mitra Malaysia Sdn Bhd Tunku Datuk Seri Iskandar Tunku Abdullah.

KUALA Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is mulling over the idea of making it compulsory for business premises to install closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) facing their entrances.

Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Mohd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz said it would help capture footage of crimes that take place along the walkways for police investigation.

“Although DBKL has installed more than 1,000 CCTVs in the city, they mostly face public roads.

“Many shops in developed countries have CCTVs which provide important evidence and give the police leads and deter crime.

“We had a discussion with the Government’s Public-Private Sector Special Task Force on Facilitating Business (Pemudah) and are looking at the possibility of including CCTVs as a condition for getting business premises licences.

“We are also looking at possible incentives for business owners,” he said after launching Hello KL e-magazine at Dataran Undrgrnd (sic) during the KL Hari Raya Eid Mubarak Festival 2016 for tourism industry players and tourists on Monday.

Hello KL is a free bimonthly e-magazine that offers the latest news, trends and developments in the city tourism industry.

Amin Nordin said the first issue focused on Kuala Lumpur’s heritage to mark the Merdeka month.

“The articles cover a variety of topics such as the history before independence and the heritage of some of the oldest parts of the city such as Kampung Baru.

“The content is developed with a focus on telling the stories of Kuala Lumpur, promoting tourist experiences and highlighting important information on industry players,” said Amin Nordin.

He encouraged more tourism players in the city to contribute to the content and said they would benefit by reaching out to the audience for free.

Hello KL has been distributed to about 7,000 tourism players worldwide.

The magazine can be downloaded from www.visitkl.gov.my

PRESS RELEASE - PESTA CAHAYA DEEPAVALLI & KESEJAHTERAAN RAKYAT DAERAH KINTA

16 November 2015

PEMADAM Perak through the PEMADAM Kinta District, will be organizing the PESTA CAHAYA DEEPAVALLI & KESEJAHTERAAN RAKYAT KINTA to celebrate the Deepavalli with people from the Kinta District. About 1,000 people of all races are expected to attend this program.

The event will be held with the cooperation of Ipoh City Watch (ICW, a registered NGO actively involved in promoting Ipoh as the most liveable city in Malaysia), Rukun Tetangga Jelapang, State Anti-Narcotics Agency (AADK), Crime Prevention Department of Perak Police (PDRM), Perak Health Department, Yayasan Bina Upaya Darul Ridzuan (YBUDR), Perak SWCorp, Persatuan Prihatin Insan Sikh Perak, Kelab Sukan dan Rekreasi Jelapang, Open University Malaysia and Pantai Hospital.

Dato’ Hj. Samsudin Bin Hj. Abu Hassan, who is also the State PEMADAM Chairman and Exco in charge of NGO, is expected to grace the occasion. The event will be held on 22 November 2015 starting at 2pm at the Jelapang Town Hall, in Jelapang.

Among the highlights of the program include a crime prevention talk by ACP Suresh Kumar, Deputy Head of Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department, PDRM Perak Contingent, Domestic Violence by Puan Halida Ali, President of Perak Women for Women and PEMADAM 5-year blueprint by Associate Prof. Dr. Richard Ng, Vice Chairman of PEMADAM Perak and President of Ipoh City Watch.

Participants will also enjoy a free health screening such as eye check, diabetes, and blood pressure by Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun and other free health check including mammogram test by Hospital Pantai.  There will also be an exhibition by AADK, PDRM, OUM, PPIS, and ICW. There will also a demonstration on how composting can be done by Perak SWCorp.

The first one hundred children registered will be given Deepavalli packet. YBUDR will be giving 100 goodie bags to selected senior citizens and poor single mothers. Participants will be treated to Deepavalli sumptuous and performance.  20 lucky draws will also be given out. All residents from the Kinta District are welcome to attend.

Group: Public and the police can do more to reduce crime - The Star Metro Perak

Jun 16, 2015

IPOH is still a relatively safe city to live in.

Those interviewed by MetroPerak said that despite this, there was still room for improvement as both the people and the police could do more to lower the crime rate.

Most also feel that the presence of policemen or patrolling vehicles have reduced and it should be increased again while the people should be more vigilant to protect themselves against criminals.

Former school principal Victor Chew said he has come across and read many articles about crime in the newspapers but still felt that Ipoh was a safe place.

“Police statistics do not always tell the truth. There are many cases that have not been reported.

“I too have personally witnessed crime occurring,” said the 69-year-old Chew.

“These are however, not enough to make me panic. I still feel safe in Ipoh,” he said.

Chew said there should be more police presence in housing areas.

“Their presence is lacking. I do not see patrol cars passing by very often these days.

“They are mostly seen parked by the roadside rather than out patrolling,” he said.

“However, I do feel that their response has improved but there’s still room for improvement,” he added.

Chew also hoped that people would stand up for others who are in need of help.

“We need to watch out for others when in public places or in our neighbourhood.

“Many people have the ‘tidak apa’ attitude when crime occurs. They are also afraid to help or become a witness,” he said.

“This is something we should all think about. This apathetic attitude would only spur criminals to continue committing crime,” he added.

It has been reported that the crime rate in the city has dropped.

According to Ipoh OCPD Assistant Commissioner Sum Chang Keong, there was a 17.9% drop in crime cases between January and May this year compared to the same period last year.

There were 968 cases in the first five months this year compared to 1,179 cases within the same period last year.

Marketing communications manager Joey Loh said she felt that Ipoh was safer when compared to bigger cities like Kuala Lumpur.

“I believe that it’s just a perception that Ipoh is not safe.

“Yes, several of my friends and family members have had experienced house break-ins, car window being smashed and witnessed some snatch theft incidents,” said the 31-year-old

“However, I think these incidents could be summed up as unfortunate events,” she said.

“There can never be zero crime in any town or country and we should protect ourselves and take some safety precautions,” she added.

Loh said there were measures people could take to prevent getting robbed.

“Try being more observant about your surroundings, spot whether you are being followed and never leave personal belongings exposed in the car,” she said.

“Unless you have a bodyguard protecting you 24-hours daily, reduce the risks by avoiding walking alone in dark areas or alleys,” she added.

Loh also called for more security presence at housing or commercial areas.

“Have policemen or other security personnel like Rela patrol these areas during odd hours or in the early morning near residential areas or parks.

“At commercial areas, there are several police booths in the city. I hope they can be utilised fully,” she said.

Lim Garden Residents’ Committee secretary K. Sagadevan also said the police should not ease up on their patrolling duties.

“There have been less uniformed police personnel moving about on the streets.

“Perhaps they are patrolling the streets in plain clothes. I can only assume so,” the 69-year-old said.

“It would be wise to have more uniformed policemen on the streets to better control crime incidences,” he added.

Sagadevan said he understood that the police were short-handed and were doing their best to keep everyone safe.

“The Federal Government should really look into this matter,” he said.

He also said that the people should play their part in keeping a lookout for crime in their respective housing areas.

“Some areas have 24-hour security to safeguard the place. This has worked well in fighting and controlling crime rate.

“Residents must also contribute and be responsible,” he said.

“We at Lim Garden are coming up with a “Neighbourhood Crime Watch” project to ensure the safety of the neighbourhood,” he said, adding that the project would involve its Rukun Tetangga and Residents’ Committee and the WIRA (Warrior) Association Malaysia.

Ipoh City Watch president Dr Richard Ng said he agreed that the crime rate has gone down gradually since the implementation of the Government Transformation Programme (GTP) in 2009.

“However, in terms of perception of the public, the statistics may not reflect the real situation.

“This is because many are sceptical about the reports made by victims as they claimed that the reports have been modified to show improvements,” he said.

“Some crimes also went viral on social media, sometimes without checking the truth about a particular case,” he added.

Dr Ng said that many police cases that have been solved were not highlighted to the public.

“I learnt that the state police made the highest arrest of drug related cases in Malaysia.

“More than half of crime such as snatch theft and house break-ins were caused by drug addicts, and the high number of arrests in drug related cases has resulted in a reduction in the crime rate,” he said, adding that Perak has the third lowest crime rate in Malaysia.

“To overcome such negative perception, the police have to step up efforts to engage with the public, especially among the Chinese community,” he added.

Dr Ng said police presence was important to prevent crime.

“There are areas which have seen high crime rate in Ipoh such as Bercham and Buntong.

“These are densely populated areas but have insufficient number of police.

“Increasing police patrol in these areas will help prevent any untoward occurrences,” he said.

“The public too must play an important role through the Residents Associations or NGOs by being the eyes and ears of the police and report any suspicious characters,” he said, adding that the police should improve their engagement with the public to dispel any negative perception.

Dr Ng also said the people must lodge a report whenever some crime takes place or if they witness any such cases.

“They should not have a negative perception that the police are incompetent in solving a crime.

“It is with reports that the police can follow up with actions,” he said.

Safety measures proposed fro Ipoh - The Star Metro Perak

June 16, 2015

WHEN it comes to early morning jogs, both the authorities and the joggers have to do their part to avoid being a target for criminal acts.

Some have also called for the increase of manpower in the police force to help curb crime.

Non-governmental organisation Ipoh City Watch president Dr Richard Ng said going jogging in the early hours of the morning was generally not safe as it was still dark.

“Some of the things authorities can do, such as the Ipoh City Council, is to make sure there is enough lighting in public parks such as Polo Ground.

“They can also install CCTVs along the entire walkway of the park, and assign enforcement officers to keep an eye out for suspicious-looking people,” he said.

As for the police, Dr Ng said they could assign members from their police volunteer unit to go around the park.

“Polo Ground is such a popular place among joggers, and I’m sure that it’s the same among snatch thieves when they want to look for targets,” he said, referring to the Sultan Abdul Aziz Recreational Park.

However, Dr Ng feels that it would not be easy to do the same for fields located within housing areas.

“For the police to conduct patrols at all the fields in the various housing areas would be impossible, because I know that they have insufficient numbers.

“What we can do is set up a Residents Association in every housing estate to check on the safety issues for morning joggers.

“We could also propose to the city council to fence up certain fields with an assigned security guard at the entrance, similar to the gated community concept,” he said.

On the joggers’ part, Dr Ng stressed that they too have to take protective measures to avoid creating chances for others to rob them.

“Leave your valuables at home. Come out to jog only with your MyKad or driving licence, and just enough money for breakfast.

“In most cases of snatch theft, it happens because of the people’s negligence.

“They can also go in a group to exercise, as it is obviously very dangerous these days to go out alone, especially when dark,” he said.

Canning assemblyman Wong Kah Woh thinks that crime cases can be reduced with increased police presence.

“Stationing police officers at crime hotspots, like Polo Ground, will go a long way in discouraging unscrupulous characters from acting,” he said.

Wong also pointed out that the police could also patrol residential areas where there are a lot of people jogging.

“But as far as I know, there is no such common practice. The government should increase the manpower of the police force.

“Currently, only about 10% of the police force are involved in combating crime, with 41% in police general administration.

“Most general administration personnel should be switched to help fight crime, as the Royal Police Commission report in 2005 has recommended that there should be at least 22% of the police force assigned for this,” he said.

Similarly, Bercham assemblyman Cheong Chee Khing said it would be difficult to have the police patrolling around fields in his area as there was shortage of manpower.

“In Bercham, we have a population of about 120,000, but the Bercham police station has only about 50 policemen.

“This means that one policeman has to take care of about 2,000 people. As such, there will be limited patrolling for morning joggers,” he said.

Adding that he has already brought this issue up during past state assemblies, Cheong said the state government told him that currently they have no plans to increase the manpower for Bercham police station.

“But so far, I have not heard of cases involving morning joggers in the Bercham area.

“I think most of them usually exercise in groups.

“With safety being a huge concern nowadays, I think people will seldom go alone to jog before the sun rises,” he said.

On steps taken by the police to improve joggers safety, Ipoh OCPD Assistant Commissioner Sum Chang Keong said currently there were police officers from the Sungai Senam police station and city council enforcement officers patrolling around Polo Ground in the morning.

“They are sometimes dressed in uniform or civillian clothing, but so far we have not received many reports of criminal activity there.

“If there are complaints from the public, we will send out police officers immediately to patrol and investigate,” he said.

Council to go green by 2020 - The Star

Feb 26 2015 - Ivan Loh 

THE Ipoh City Council is planning to replace its Ipoh Local Plan 2020 to reflect the times as rapid development is taking place.

Datuk Bandar Datuk Harun Rawi said the city council would conduct a study to review the plan, which was gazetted in 2012, and replace it with an updated plan.

“The studies will be conducted from time to time as zoning exercises and development takes place.

“It could take up to two years before the new plan could be in place,” he told journalists after chairing the city council fullboard meeting recently.

“We will also try to get the necessary approval and estimated allocations for the plan,” he said, adding that it was one of the city council’s programmes to turn Ipoh into a compact and liveable city.

Harun said a lot of factors within the current plan needs to be reviewed and changed.

“These include the public transportation masterplan and highrise developments,” he said.

“We have had lots of applications for project developments and these would also be studied,” he added.

Harun also said the city council would adopt a “green neighbourhood” concept by working on several initiatives.

He said the city council would work on two masterplans for bicycle paths and pedestrian paths.

“We will also work on several other initiatives including a rainwater harvesting system, community farming development and waste composting programmes,” he said.

“For new development projects, the city council has also set a requirement to introduce green technology,” he added.

On the safety aspect of the city, Harun said some RM339,000 has been allocated by the Local Government Department for a “bleaching” programme in Gugusan Manjoi.

He said studies have been conducted with the residents there and the city council is carrying out its programme to improve the infrastructure to make the area safer.