Rising Cost, Rising Crime.

Yesterday, I witnessed a snatch theft. I took my car to the workshop, and as I was waiting outside, a customer who had just collected her car, got in, started the car and was probably sorting her stuff when a bike stopped alongside the car. The rider remained on the bike as the pillion rider hopped off, opened the passenger side door, grabbed the woman's bag, hopped back on the bike and they sped off. the entire incident happened so quickly that most people only realized what was happening when the woman screamed. I could not even get a glimpse of the bike's registration plate in time. It was that quick.


The owner of my workshop (near Jalan 222 in Petaling Jaya) informed me later that this was the third time in a week such an incident happened along that road, although the first time one of his customers was affected. So rampant is snatch theft nowadays that just about everyone has been a victim, or at least knows someone who has been a victim.


My mother was the victim of a snatch theft, not once but twice in the span of about a month, right outside our house. Both times, the robbers snatched her jewellery, leaving her scarred and scared of going outside our own home.

I understand that the police cannot stop this crime alone. The public need to be cautious and alert at all times. However, the police do have a larger role to play. They simply have to do more. Increase neighborhood patrols! Install cameras! Perhaps our Rela units can also be re-deployed to neighborhood patrols, reducing their current role in harassing foreign workers, regardless of them being legal or illegal.