The government’s decision to release a list of 49 triad gangs this morning was not a form of “witchhunt”, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said today.

NONE “This is not a witchhunt, because this is what was desired by the people,” Najib ( left ) said during a press conference at his office today.

“If we want to live in a country free from crime, then we have to do this,” he added.

He was responding to questions on whether releasing the list of the gangs comes too soon, as the Ops Cantas operation by police had just been launched.

Najib said that the decision to release the list was “not drastic” because the people are expecting “stern action” by the authorities to curb the rising crime rates.

“People are expecting stern action. This was a decision made by the government, and we must make sure when we do something, it is a comprehensive action. The (government) order has been given and this is the action that is being taken,” he said.

The Home Ministry this morning made public a list of 49 triad gangs and declared that it will clamp down on these gangs.

The action comes just over a week after the launch of the police’s Ops Cantas operation to weed out rising crime rates in the country.

Deputy inspector-general of police Bakri Zinin yesterday declared the Ops Cantas a success , claiming that violent crime rates in the country has been dwindling since the operation started.

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