First class infrastructure and third class mentality. Yes, that quite unfortunately sums up the Malaysian way of dealing with issues.

And that is not all. Malaysia, very unfortunately, also is home to some government officers, be it at the federal or state levels who care two hoots about what happens to other people so long as their comfort zones are undisturbed.

We had recently come to know of a teenage Indonesian domestic helper being savagely abused. Then we read in the newspapers about how a working woman lost her life in a snatch-theft attack. Both cases, due to their severity, have attracted Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's attention.

However, if Pak Lah's call for the authorities to take action ends up as a case of "doing something for the sake of doing" then please, do not even bother to start.

There is a fact, although as bitter as Pak Lah might find it and that is, in Malaysia, crimes are not tackled with a committed attitude. It is almost always an ad-hoc approach taken in resolving a case, be it an abuse or theft.

Why must there be a death before snatch thefts are regarded as serious crimes to combat? Now, a death has already occurred. Just how effectively is the government going to work at ensuring that people are not going to lose their lives to a petty snatch thief?

Speaking of transparency, Pak Lah could start with getting the local councils to come clean by acknowledging just how many reports on snatch thieves they have received from their respective residents. And what has been done by them to address this problem?

The truth must be told

Reality will, if Pak Lah dare accept it, show that the local councils have not bothered looking into pleas made by residents for better lightings, be it more and brighter streetlights or brighter lights for pedestrian bridges and bus stops.

One such notorious council is the Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ). And one good example of just how poor a job MPPJ is doing can be seen in areas like Section 14. The bus stops are dilapidated and come with no lighting. The council has hardly lifted a limb in making sure that street lights and bus stops are well maintained and are brightly lit. It makes no sense to install streetlights at a gap of every eight or nine houses. Countless calls have been made to MPPJ be it in person or through complaints made via the media, yet the council remains cocky in carrying out its responsibility as it should.

Recently, there was talk that police personnel will be deployed to guard houses of VIPs i.e. ministers. This is a reflection of how the government, after having received the mandate from the rakyat to manage the country is taking advantage of the powers bestowed upon it.

It clearly shows how the "powers that be" have taken the people who voted for the current government for granted. Objections have been raised to this move of getting the police force to serve the VIPs' homes.

Hopefully Pak Lah, as the leader of this nation, will do what has and needs to be done to make the country a safe home for his rakyat.

The people of Malaysia have never asked much. In fact, they often do not even know what they should ask for. Maybe that is one reason why the layman is often given the "doormat" treatment by the authorities.

Otherwise how do we explain the lackaidaisical attitude as shown by the authorities in dealing with issues raised by taxpayers?.

The recent snatch theft case where a 37-year-old woman succumbed to her injuries after struggling with a snatch thief has put fear into the hearts of many people. Almost everyone is afraid of stepping out of the house alone, even during the day time. Is this situation a scenario that we will have to live with for a long time to come? It need not be, if dedication and commitment towards eroding crime is reflected by the authorities.

Back to square one

In the newspapers recently, there were reports that the government will launch the Rukun Tetangga volunteer patrols in selected crime-prone areas in the country. The idea that snatch thieves will keep coming back to a particular area to rob might not be a great idea to latch on to. There is a possibility of them "migrating" to other areas, thus creating new crime-prone zones.

Why the Rukun Tetangga concept failed?

Also, the government must study why the Rukun Tetangga concept failed to work over the past 10 years. What went wrong? Or was the RT yet another ad-hoc approach at tackling crime in neighbourhoods?

The government should stop dangling temporary carrots to entice people to start making efforts to keep their neighbourhoods safe. A brainstorming of how a Rukun Tetangga should operate and what is needed to make it work must be looked into.

It is not enough to make propaganda statements "closer co-operation between police and residents' association is imperative to curb crime" as was said by Dr Maximus Ongkili, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department to the newspapers recently.

Yes, the public too has a role to play in making neighbourhoods a safe place. But they need the necessary support and encouragement to help out, to make lighter the load of the authorities. If it is to be a win-win situation, then an effective way of dealing with the problems at hand has to be created.

Let us stop passing the buck around!

JJ RAY started her career with a mainstream publication. A non-conformist, she soon saw the barriers that went up whenever, through her writing, she tried to make the world a home for one and all.