Two opposition leaders have expressed outrage over Thursday's triad attack on a Sin Chew Daily reporter over a recent article he wrote on gang activities.

DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang and the Malaysian Democratic Party (MDP) secretary general Wee Choo Keong issued separate statements yesterday condemning the attack on the reporter, 41-year-old Pang Tian Koo, and raising questions over the apparent powerlessness of the police against triad reprisals.

Both leaders called upon the government to launch a new resolve to curb violent crimes and to wipe out gang activities in the country .

According to a Sin Chew report, Pang's right hand was almost severed in a machete attack in a crowded restaurant in Segamat, Johor. He was rushed to a hospital where he underwent a six-hour surgery to reattach his hand.

Tip of iceberg

Wee said the attack on the reporter has cast an unflattering light on the police force for its ineffectiveness in controlling triad activities.

"If the police force has been effective, there would be no need for Sin Chew Daily or any other press to bring to public attention such triad activities. If the police force is effective, Malaysians will not be witnessing so many violent crimes involving arms recently," he said.

The MDP secretary-general said the attack on Pang was only the tip of the iceberg as many other such attacks have gone unreported as victims feared further reprisals.

Wee related several incidents involving hawkers in Petaling Street who have been intimidated for years by triad members.

He said that one triad leader has been demanding money from the hawkers on the pretext of supplying them with electricity while another triad leader, dubbed "Tai Fei Long" ordered an attack on a hawker and his workers in Jalan Sultan last Thursday.

"Violent crimes by triad members are on the rise because the public and victims of triad attacks dare not lodge police reports fearing that they and/or members of their family will come to harm.

"Furthermore, even when the public lodge police reports against a triad leader, more often than not, no positive actions are taken unless the matter is highlighted by the press," he said.

No police action

Wee said that back in 1999, he was with a group of hawkers who lodged several reports against a "well-known" Kuala Lumpur triad leader.

"They were called up to the Kuala Lumpur police headquarters to give statements. The complainants were reprimanded in my presence by a high-ranking officer for making press statements against the triad leader," he said.

Wee said he lodged a formal complaint against the police officer but nothing came out of his report.

"It is most regrettable that the recent attack on the Sin Chew journalist has further eroded whatever public confidence that is left for the police," he said.

'Fixing' fees

Meanwhile, DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang said the attack against the reporter highlighted the grave situation facing Malaysians with regards to public safety and security.

"The country seems to be heading towards a new and more vicious level of lawlessness, not only with a shocking increase in the crime rate but also the public fear of crime.

"Such blatant crimes and criminality in Malaysia, as if the police forces of law and order do not exist or matter, reached a new degree of depravity when the MCA officially disclosed that thugs have started to advertise their "services" by circulating business cards offering to "fix" someone for a fee," he said.

Police 'sabotage'

Lim said the public fear is reflective of the failure of police to be responsive to the needs of the community.

He said the lack of responsiveness of the police to public outrage is evident with their refusal to grant a permit to the All Women's Action Society to hold a public gathering to raise awareness on the issue of violence against women.

"It is a great shame that the police had aborted and sabotaged Awam's gathering when it should be giving full support and co-operation to elicit greater citizen and community support in the war against crime," he said.

The Awam rally was originally scheduled to take place yesterday afternoon, to raise public awareness towards sexual crimes, as highlighted by the Canny Ong case.

However, the organisers ran into problems after the police refused permission for the event to be held.