Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s announcements on ways to tackle the soaring crime rate has obviously gripped public attention, not the least because public concern over this has been rising over the past year.

This announcement was made yesterday, shortly after Abdullah was briefed by the police on the 2007 crime index which saw violent crimes shoot up by a dramatic 13.4 percent, of which rape cases were up by about 30% and gang robbery by a whopping 160%.

As such, Abdullah announced improvements to the police force, such as increasing the number of personnel, police stations and beat bases.

He also said the government would compel certain property owners and tenants to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in a bid to help the police fight crime.

Several social activists contacted today had their say about the crime situation and their reaction to Abdullah’s announcement.

Jacob George, president,Consumer Association of Subang and Shah Alam (Cassa)

From the feedback received by Cassa, our streets have become a war-zone for hardcore criminals and a huge number of illegal immigrants. This has made our homes unsafe and private security a much sought after service.

Disappointingly, the government’s announcement about beefing up the police force is like upgrading computer hardware without upgrading the software. We not only need more cops on the ground, we also need cleaner cops.

Instead of talking about more cars, guns, police stations and CCTVs, we need to look into the core issues of forming a more efficient police force in order to tackle crime.

We have to see where the police have gone wrong. For example, if one were to make a ‘999' distress call, don’t be surprised if it takes up to one hour for a patrol car to come by.

Physical improvements alone are not the correct solution. The government needs to find out whether there is a sharp increase in the number of criminals on the streets or whether the police can improve the way they do things.

Perhaps its high time the police perform a self-analysis or some sort of reflection. They can conduct public feedback, as they did in the 1960s and 1970s. It’s time they become a more people-orientated service, rather than a police force.

Ivy Josiah, executive director, Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) and former member of the Royal Commission on the Police Force

(Abdullah’s announcement comprises) all old ideas. We still welcome, yet again, such pledges because they reinforce the proposals of the royal commission and many other proposals given to the government and the police in the past.

What we need now is a budget, time-line and monitoring mechanisms. (These elements were all absent in Abdullah’s announcement yesterday).

On the spike in rape cases, women’s groups would like to stress that there should be a better breakdown of the statistics - who are the perpetrators, how many cases are statutory rape, how many cases are rapes involving strangers. With such information, we’ll have a better idea of how to reach out to target groups for our public education programmes.

This is important, so there isn’t panic among the public. But (the fact that) more cases (are) being reported is a positive sign, as it shows that more rape survivors are willing to report such cases.

It is also important that the criminal justice system - the police, prosecutors and courts - work efficiently and do not let down rape survivors. They can’t take two to three years (to complete a case) as they normally do. In our experience, many survivors become exhausted by the process.

The criminal justice system must be able to prosecute and punish effectively. That would also help in sending a very strong message that crime will not be tolerated.

Lee Lam Thye, vice-president, Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) and former member of the Royal Commission on the Police Force

Quite a number of these measures have been proposed before, but it’s better late than never. We hope that these measures are implemented as soon as possible.

The government has certainly raised public expectations (with the announcement). The public will, in turn, expect the government to keep its promises.

On increasing police presence, I believe the government is responding to requests from the public. This is one of the main requests the MCPF receives during our roadshows. The public have the perception that if they see more police personnel on the ground, they would feel safe.

However, the public must also know that the prevention of crime goes beyond the government and the police. All stakeholders - such as civilians and the private sector - must play a role.

Prof Mohd Hamdan Adnan, advisor, Federation of Consumer Associations Malaysia

The government must not just focus on crime prevention but study the root causes of crime. Why are people turning to crime? That is the more important question (and) we need clear answers.

Is it that our education system does not effectively turn people into more law-abiding citizens?

Restoring police integrity and professionalism must also be emphasised. Of late, there have been many cases of high-profile police officers facing allegations of wrongdoing. Public confidence needs to be restored.

N Siva Subramaniam, commissioner, Human Rights Commission (Suhakam)

The announcement is a positive step towards implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission on the Police Force as well as Suhakam to fight crime - such as increasing the number of police personnel and retaining experienced officers.

Malaysia has one of the earliest retirement ages for police personnel. In Singapore, it is 60. So the retirement of police officers at the age of 55 or 56 is just too early. They have so much knowledge, yet they are forced into retirement.

Any effort to enhance the police force must also include human rights training, so that the police can better serve the public in a more professional way.