The crime situation in Malaysia is getting worse with each passing

year. There are two terrible evil twins, crime and racism at work
in Malaysia, and, unfortunately, it has become all too familiar.

Both evils are extremely intertwined in this country. The reasons

are not hard to find.

Racist policies and crime go hand-in-hand.

Corruption is one of the main reasons for the rising crime rate.
The country's racial policies are behind this deep malaise. All the
enforcement agencies in the country are overwhelmingly filled by
people of one particular race.

This sad and unethical situation has allowed corruption to take

root in the country and it has become a problem that seemingly has
no solution in sight.

Many government officers in enforcement work are either in cahoots

with criminals or are reluctantly involved in aiding crime groups.

You name it, and the general public will agree. Police, Immigration,
local council licencing boards, Customs, the road transport office,
federal procurement offices and even politicians are all not free of
this disease.

Another reason is the deep lack of commitment to the duties assigned

to those who are responsible for public safety and security. When the
people who are responsible for such matters do not take their job
responsibilities seriously, crime becomes the winner.

Again, the reason for this is the almost total uniformity of the
various departments involved in security in their employee compositions.
Many top posts are solely reserved for people of one particular race.
There is a lack of transparency in the promotion aspects and the rank
and file are filled with people looking for the easy and secure kind
of employment.

Many housing estates in the country are plagued by hooligans and small-
time criminals prowling the roads and sidelanes late at night on motor-
bikes, many of them stolen machines, too.

The streets and main thoroughfares in the country are also menaced by
motorbike gangs virtually every weekends and the authorites are totally
unable to get on top of the situation.

Again, the reason is the race factor in the equation. Those who are
involved in this menace and the people assigned to catch them are just
too familiar with each other. Again, crime and racism at work in Malaysia
have become all too intertwined together. It has been known that some
of the regular motorbike gangmembers were from policemen's families.

One more important reason is the political interference dished out to

the various enforcement agencies. The police are known for siding with
anybody who happened to be favoured by the government.

When the police go about their work, they need to look over their
shoulders to see if they got the nod from the top politicians. As
a result, the integrity of the police in this country is not one that
gives reason to cheer about. Thus, one can see the connection between
crime, racism and corruption. They help each other to nurture and grow.

The great result is spiralling crime and increasing wariness and

suspicion and disbelief among the general public.

Yet, the country's politicians are too busy chasing positions and
stature for themselves, and ignoring the plight of the common people.

Meanwhile, the spin experts in the information ministry are working

overtime to lay the blame on other sides, even, foreign ones.

It is most shameful, but one is not surprised, considering the vain-

glorious nature of the Malaysian politician. And there is no respite
from even that !