It's really not safe out there.

"Repeated sharing of crime news on social networks creates a false impression that Malaysia is unsafe.." says  the chairman of the National Key Results Area (NKRA) Secretariat.

This isn't the first time such statement was made by government officials about the rising crime rate.

While it is true that it is now easier to share and learn about crime incidents through Facebook, Twitter, blogs, etc it has also become very obvious that nowadays every single person we speak to would have a few stories about their own, friends', relatives' experiences to share.

Some examples of recent stories I heard :

..My sis' colleague's car window was smashed right in front of The Curve, lost her gym bag
..My friend's colleague's also lost her handbag at a traffic light in Bangsar
..My aunt's handbag was snatched in Sri Petaling.


And the list goes on when you speak to different people.  The above are just 'minor' cases where no one got hurt, thankfully.


We've been reading many versions of more serious cases where robbers were armed with knives and parangs, some unlucky victims were stabbed or slashed, more unlucky ones had serious or even fatal injuries.

My retired uncle and aunt dare not go to their favourite breakfast place in IMbi to have their favourite coffee on weekdays.  They dare not walk on the streets anymore.  If need be, they only go to safer places (perceived) like Pavillion.  They rather have not as authentic coffee at Toast Box in Pavillion.  I thought they are being too paranoid.

I laughed when a friend told that she's very afraid to go out nowadays due to the rampant crime incidences.  "But you're one of the bravest person I know..?" I said.

Even my heroic dad asked me about pepper spray.  He wants one!

Ya..many, especially older folks had told me to go out less since I'm usually alone.   When the incident at The Curve was reported, many shied away from the mall, I didn't think that was necessary.

Whenever I read all those shared stories in facebook, I struggled to not let them discourage me from getting on with mylife normally.  I refused to let all this disrupt my routine and my life.  I believed in ...fate. If it's meant to happen it will happen.

Until last night a friend posted in Facebook about her very close and scary encounter with four parang wielded man who tried to rob (and hurt) them right in front of their home.

"At one point, one of them came so close swinging his parang about to strike me, I threw my tablet at him. I lock eye with the robbers several times. So did my hubby as we screamed at them"

That was an excerpt from the note she shared in Facebook, enough snap me into reality.   Read the full note HERE - hope it's open to non friends.

I've had three encounters with snatch thieves...those are nothing compared to having a man charging at you with a parang.  And this time it happened to someone I know! As far as I know she is someone always on high alert cos she keeps close watch on current affairs, normally actively sharing latest information about crime issues on Facebook.  And yet..she became a random target.  I am both angry and frightened.  I'm not sure anymore...shall I be paranoid too.

Don't need high level mathematics or statistics to figure out how high the probability of being a victim has become, my dear Minister and PM and Chairman.


So, what's next? Lock ourselves at home and not come at all?


If you ever go out, even if in a group, be cautious and alert all the time.

Be on a lookout all the time,
Be paranoid,

If need be, run through in your mind, what do you do, if it happens to you.

Do you have the contact numbers of the nearest police stations?

I wanted to search through the PDRM official website http://www.rmp.gov.my/ but it says :

Internal Server Error

crap.