Kota Kinabalu: Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCCI) President Datuk Michael Lui called on the police to develop effective countermeasures against criminals.
He said the police and City Hall (DBKK) should improve the current situation, as the increasing trend of crime, especially street assaults and robberies, was worrying and frightening.
He noted that three cases of robbery and theft were reported in the city in a week, drawing public concern.
The first on Thursday involved a 35-year-old clerk who was injured after being hit by the culprit, who approached from behind, knocked her down and fled with her wallet.
In another incident, a 36-year-old was robbed of a handphone at a different location.
On Friday, a 50-year-old woman sustained injuries to her face and body after being brutally assaulted and robbed in the back alley of a building, losing RM5,000 and her smartphone.
Michael said police should strengthen patrols and supervision in trouble-prone places, especially during festivals.
“Other than threatening people’s safety, public security issues have also become a thorn for domestic and foreign tourists and investors.
“We need to arrange police forces to carry out patrol prevention and control and comprehensively improve the city’s ‘police visibility and management rates’ as part of crime prevention efforts to crack down on criminals,” he said.
Michael said city folks are willing to cooperate with the police and provide any possible information and assistance.
However, he said relying solely on the cooperation of the people is not enough and hoped the police could also provide a cooperative response, establishing closer ties and communication channels.
“We believe in cooperation and working together to maintain community safety,” Michael said.
Michael hoped the police would use their superior powers immediately to suppress and investigate, emphasising that criminals must not be allowed to challenge the credibility of the police force.
“We must all work harder to elevate our city to a higher level so that our goal of becoming a world-class city can be achieved.
“The Government should also increase funding to support the work of police departments,” he said.
