Residents in the Klang Valley have to take pains in looking after their personal safety as well as the security of their homes as nine districts out of 30 highest crime-prone areas in the country are located there.

Statistics revealed in parliament today show that from January to May this year, Dang Wangi is the second highest crime district, followed by Petaling Jaya Utara (3), Ampang (4), Petaling Jaya Selatan (5), Sentul (6), Shah Alam (9), Gombak (12), Cheras (13) and Brickfields (15).

A total of 22,800 or 42.3 percent out of 52,698 crime cases occurred in these nine districts over the past five months.

Johor Baru Selatan tops the list. It was identified as the city with the highest crime rate. A total 4,954 crimes cases occurred in this city.

Others on the list are Klang (7), Ipoh (8), Seremban (10), Georgetown (Timur Laut) (11), Johor Baru Utara (14), Seberang Perai Tengah (16), Kajang (17), Kuching (18), Alor Setar (19), Kota Kinabalu (20), Kuala Muda (21), Melaka Tengah (22), Kota Bharu (23), Kuantan (24), Miri (25), Sibu (26), Bayan Lepas (Barat Daya) (27), Kuala Terengganu (28), Batu Pahat (29) and Muar (30).

Disclosing this in a written reply to Chong Eng (DAP-Bukit Mertajam), Internal Security Minister and Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also said that the authorities have taken action to reduce the crime rate.

For example, local council have been directed to install more street lights in crime prone areas and to conduct awareness campaigns against crime among the local populace, he said.

He added that crime prevention and combatting crime should be the responsibility of all and not the police alone.

Up 18 percent

Meanwhile, responding to an oral question in parliament today, Internal Security Parliamentary Secretary Abu Seman Yusop revealed that 8,060 crime cases occurred in Kuala Lumpur last year, an increase of 18 percent compared with 6,834 cases in 2002.

Of late, Malaysians have become increasingly worried over the increasing number of crime cases occurring in the country. Two women were killed in recent weeks after their handbags were snatched.

Opposition leader Lim Kit Siang was also fuming today after his laptop was stolen from his car in Petaling Jaya last night.

"The windscreen of my car was smashed. I was just away for half an hour. This is the second time it happened to me in two months," he told reporters at parliament lobby this morning.

However, he did not lodge a police report, saying that it would be a waste of time to do so.

Last week, Bukit Gasing state assemblyperson Dr Lim Thuang Sing also said that he was robbed in a coffee shop by a gang armed with knives.