Malaysians have been urged to turn their anger over the Canny Ong tragedy into a united voice to demand their right to personal safety and community security from the law enforcers, in particular the police force.

The All Women's Action Society Malaysia (Awam) and the DAP agreed that as Malaysians mourn for Canny Ong, her tragic death should make citizens redouble their efforts in creating awareness of the citizen's fundamental right to a safe and crime-free environment.

"The onus is on the police to provide that environment devoid of violent crimes. It is their duty and responsibility and citizens have the right to demand that," Maria Chin Abdullah of Awam said on Saturday.

She told the "Lessons from Canny Ong case: Reduce crime and fear of crime" forum in Petaling Jaya that the Ong case has thrown the issue of violent crime into a different dimension.

Right to be angry

"People are now coming forward to challenge why must they live in an atmosphere of fear," she said.

Saying that people have the right to be angry about rampant violent crimes, Maria also appealed for sustained efforts in creating public awareness on ways to prevent and combat them.

"While the Canny Ong case and the increase in more hideous crimes make us angry, let us turn this anger into something concrete like taking action to address some of these concerns," she said.

Awam, she announced, will organise a march against violence on July 20. The march will start at 4pm at the Bangsar Shopping Complex, the place where Canny Ong was first abducted, and later raped and murdered last month.

Speaking at the forum, DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang said that the gruesome murder of Canny Ong has brought to a head the growing public concerns about the deterioration of the police service marked by the rise in crime rate and the fear of crime in many areas in the country.

"It is time for the people to stand up and tell the police and the government loud and clear that they want to see the immediate reversal of the rising trend of the more serious and violent crimes like rape, robbery and murder.

National policing forum

"The police leadership must understand and accept the right of the people to demand accountability, transparency and higher standards in the delivery of one of the most basic functions of all governments through the ages - the police service to provide security and protection to the citizenry," he said.

The DAP leader also called for the establishment of a national policing forum to provide a formal structure to involve the various communities and civil society, including political parties, NGOs and professional groups, to consider the key elements of the annual national and local policing plans to monitor their performances.

"The police service to provide a safe and secure environment for Malaysians to live, work and play in is too important to be left to the police force alone to be its sole concern but should be the joint responsibility of all stakeholders in society," Lim added..

Hakam president Ramdas Tikamdas and Bukit Mertajam MP Chong Eng, herself a victim of snatch thieves twice, were the other two speakers at the forum. About 200 people attended the event.