A few months ago, I witnessed a teenage schoolboy being 'ambushed' and chased by two other young men on his way home from school. I happened to be driving to office after having my lunch at home. I can see from the distance that the boy was trying to run from the two men but he was trapped.

I decided to drive my car towards the boy hoping to scare the two men away. I took a risk, stopped my car, wound down my window just a couple of inches to ask the boy if he is okay. The boy looked pale and was shaking from fear and begged me to help him. I told him I can only stay there with him, call for help from my handphone but I cannot let him enter my car for security purpose. Meanwhile, the two men ran off towards the bus stop.

I called the nearest police station to report the incident hoping to get help. I was passed to three different people. I informed the first policewoman who I am, and requested for police assistance to be dispatched to the area. The first policewoman sounded disinterested and asked me to call another number. I related the incident to the second policewoman. She too passed my call to another policeman. I had to relate the incident for the third time.

The policeman asked for my particulars (full name, address, where I'm working) and started to ask me whether my father used to work in the police force as my surname sounded familiar. I said no. He then proceeded to ask me whether I'm married. By this time I was furious and reminded the police on the incident of a boy being stabbed by a drug-addict in town recently in broad daylight (no one helped the boy. Instead, the public just looked and the police came too late), and if the police do not come the same thing could happen again to other children.

This time the policeman changed his tone and informed me that he knows the area where the boy was ambushed. He even told me that there have been reports of rape incidents there! He then said that a patrol car will be sent to the area but he did not mention when. If the police knew about the area why is there no regular police patrol there? Also, why can't the police act immediately when a report is lodged instead of passing me around? Also, why ask irrelevant questions as to whether I'm married or not? Further, if the police are aware of the notoriety of the place shouldn't the police act immediately when a report is lodged regarding that place?

A month ago I received a note from a stranger stating sexual desires for me. The note was placed on my car windshield which was parked about 100m from my office. Due to my previous experience with lodging a report with the police I could not bring myself to make a report again. I do not believe that the police can offer me help and security.

Also, I have read of an incident (from a letter to malaysiakini ) where a foreign woman (student) was harassed by the police after reporting the loss of her personal documents. The police turned up at the woman's house, demanded to enter her house, made themselves comfortable, and asked irrelevant questions, and even asked the woman out i.e. the policemen were taking advantage of the fragile situation the woman was in.

I realised that by not reporting to the police I have allowed the perpetrator to get away with a crime. However, I did not want to add to my anxiety further by making the report. Instead of one harassment, I could be getting more from the police themselves.

I read in the news regarding the rape and murder of Nurul Huda, the 10-year-old girl, that the police received complaints from the public prior to the tragic incident that the area where Nurul Huda was raped was a drug-addicts den. The police did not investigate and no action was taken.

Similarly, in the Canny Ong's case the two policemen who questioned the rapist and Canny Ong did not even notice that something was amiss when they asked for the rapist and victim's identification cards when they found the car parked in a secluded area. Also, in the Hesirawati case, the 10-year-old rape and murder victim in Sabah, the accused is a drug addict and ex-convict.

Is there no follow-up by the police once these ex-convicts are released from jail? What counseling and treatment were provided to convicts while in jail so that they can learn to assimilate with the public once they are released? What kind of evaluation is done to check whether it is safe to release convicts after they serve their sentences? Who are supposed to do the evaluation? Are there any qualified people to do this? Also, the Malaysian public must change their mindset to look after one another. The public needs to be more vigilant. The apathy shown by the Malaysian public is upsetting and ridiculous.

With all the heinous crime happening especially to women and children, I have lost confidence in the police and the government in providing security to the public.