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Gerakan shocked with convenience store chain robbed 217 times this year

Cheah Soon Hai: Tougher punishments should be given to robbers and snatch thieves

 
 

Press statement by

Gerakan Central Bureau on Environment, Safety and Quality of Life Chairman

Dr Cheah Soon Hai

 
 

19 December 2012

 
 

Gerakan Central Bureau on Environment, Safety and Quality of Life Chairman, Dr Cheah Soon Hai expressed his disappointment towards the security on the streets of Malaysia after a convenience store chain was reportedly robbed 217 times in this year alone.

 
 

"This report shows that much more needs to be done to keep our streets safe, these robberies posed not only a danger towards the convenient store workers but to customers as well."

 
 

Cheah further pressed the police to increase their patrol in outlets prone to operate 24 hours that are most vulnerable to midnight robberies such as convenient store, cyber cafes and mamak restaurants.

 
 

"These are the areas where Malaysians tend to linger at night especially mamak restaurants where they would be with their friends late into the night. There were previous cases where the robbers were so bold that they robbed a mamak restaurant although it was filled with customers."

 
 

Cheah, also Kedah Derga state assemblyman said that tougher punishments should be given when robbers and snatch thieves were found guilty to prevent them from roaming the streets after a short jail-term.

 
 

"Many of these criminals are repeated offenders who did not feel any remorse for their actions and the trauma the victims have to go through for the rest of their lives. Therefore a tougher sentence should be given to pacify the uproar from the public and at the same time prevent them from taking the law in their own hands if they manage to apprehend a criminal. It is a common knowledge that the public is fed-up with the police incompetence and some even resort to extreme measures to safeguard themselves."