KUALA LUMPUR: The people’s confidence in the safety and security of the country has improved since the inception of the National Transformation Programme (NTP) in 2010.
Malaysians feel more safe and secure and this sentiment was reflected in the significant decline in the Perception of Crime Indicator last year.
The indicator showed that the public’s fear of falling victim to crime had dropped to 40 per cent, as the crime rate of the country plummeted by 53 per in the 2010-2017 period.
Efforts introduced by the government to create a safe environment in residential and public areas have helped to restore the public’s confidence.
Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation senior vice-chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said this had not only improved the wellbeing of the people, but also benefited the nation.
The dip in the fear of crime was intrinsically linked to the enhancement of the nation’s security, he said.
This would also increase confidence in foreign tourists and investors, thus, generating cash flow and increasing foreign direct investments into the country.
“When tourists and investors feel safer staying the country, it will boost our tourism sector, which is a boon for hotel operators and hospitality players.
“It will also have a spillover effect in stimulating the nation’s trading sector, resulting in the creation of more employment for the people.
“This is the magnitude of people and stakeholders’ perception of safety issues.”
Lee, however, said the effort to preserve the security and safety of the country should not be the responsibility of enforcement agencies alone, but should also receive participation from the community.
“It is imperative for the community to become the eyes and the ears of enforcement agencies, especially in ensuring their residential areas are free of crime.
“People will think twice about committing crimes if residents unite and work with the authorities.”
Under the NTP, the government introduced community-oriented initiatives, including public engagement by the police and Community Empowerment Programme (CEP), to ensure security will continue to be the core foundation of the country.
Sixty-four high-risk areas were covered by CEP, and police took part in 1,687 community engagements to obtain feedback on areas of improvement to improve the public’s sense of security.
The government will implement the Modern Policing Programme at 22 police stations in Kuala Lumpur with 11,500 officers to be deployed.