On the average, a security guard's salary is around RM1,500 a month including allowances and overtime after working 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. How many persons do they have to support with this amount of salary?

By how many percent has the inflation rate increased compared to the percentage of salary increments for security guards on an annual basis? When was the last time their salary was reviewed?

With the current economic slowdown, many companies have taken the opportunity to cut the pay of security guards by about 20%. How are these people now going to support their families?

Many of them are the sole breadwinners of the family. With this kind of situation, do we still expect them to be committed in their work and to ensure our security? You must be insane if you expect so.

Let's take the recent robbery case at Taman Maluri, Cheras. Assuming there was a security guard patrolling the area at that time. A huge parang in the hand of the robbers versus a baton held by the security guard.

With only a RM1,500 monthly salary which can barely support his household, do you think this guard will march forward and fight off the robbers just to protect you? Would he risk his life as the breadwinner of his family? Obviously not.

If we want to have a safer place to stay, we need to revise the salary of our security guards, seriously. Alternatively, security service companies can choose to provide subsidies.

Another ‘fantastic' issue about security guards is that some of them look like criminals themselves. They do not dress properly (I think criminals dress much better than the security guards) to the extent of unbuttoning the top of their uniform.

As for their shoes, I can only guess that their companies are training them to chase criminals in slippers or sandals. I see no reason why security service companies should allow their security guards to be shabbily dressed.

When a security guard is properly dressed, any criminal that is targeting an area will think twice before striking. This my reduce the chances of crime happening. It is the responsibility of the company to provide a full set of uniform to their guards in order for them to perform properly.

And have you ever wondered how fit our security guards are? How often do they exercise or go for training? Are they be able to chase the criminals the distance of a football field?

Now folks, with all the above revelations about security guards, do you think we are staying or working in a safe area? Unless improvements are made, we will always live in fear even after paying our monthly maintenance fee for ‘security'.