RESIDENTS and leaders of this royal city are up in arms over recent comparisons to Colombia due to a perceived surge in violent crimes.
The controversial analogy came after a recent robbery case in Taman Bayu Perdana here went viral and gained traction among netizens.
The video of the robbery in which two men were seen smashing a car's windows and robbing a real estate agent during a traffic jam caused shock and alarm to many.
The incident, combined with a growing perception that Klang was a hotbed for gangsterism-related activities, led to netizens labelling Klang as "Colombia".
But, the label came at an awkward time for the locals as Klang was only recently declared a royal city.
With the royal city status, some residents believe there will be a positive impact to the city's image and that it will potentially attract more attention and deployment of resources in addressing crime concerns.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain had made a visit to the city last Sunday in a bid to dispel the notion that Klang was synonymous with crime.
He had said that Klang does not hold the dubious distinction of having the highest crime rate as he revealed that Gombak takes the lead in crime statistics, followed by Kajang and Petaling Jaya.
Sentosa assemblyman Gunaraj George said the Klang-Colombia comparison by netizens was raised by federal Criminal Investigation Department chief Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain during a townhall meeting here last week.
He said Shuhaily also said that the crime rate was increasing nationwide but that point seemed to have been lost and only the comparison with Colombia remained in everyone's mind.
"To a certain extent, there is an alarming level of crime here, but certainly, it cannot be compared with Colombia," said Gunaraj.
He acknowledged the challenge of rising crime levels in Klang, attributing some of it to the current economic difficulties and unemployment.
But, he emphasised that incidents such as the robbery in Bayu Perdana were not widespread and that labelling the entire royal city based on isolated events does not provide an accurate picture.
"Taman Sentosa used to be known as a black area many years back ago but it has improved a lot now due to much community policing work.
"Crime happens everywhere and not just in Klang," he told the New Straits Times.
The NST interviewed several residents and found a diverse range of views, but all agreed that Klang was no Colombia.
M. Darmaraj, 38, from Taman Menara Maju acknowledged the possibility of high crime rates but found it unfair to compare Klang with Colombia.
Katija Abdul Rahman, 59, from Bandar Bukit Tinggi shared a similar sentiment, emphasising that Klang was a safe area.
T. Kaniappan, 68, a long-time resident and a former navy sailor, highlighted the positive changes in Klang over the years, noting improved security measures in many neighbourhoods.
He said that while the situation was bad in the 1990s and early 2000s, it had improved due to community activities such as the Rukun Tetangga.
"Crime was uncontrollable and high as Klang was undeveloped then. We used to stay home after dark due to gangsterism then.
"But it has changed so much now. It is safe to stay in Klang now and it's definitely not like Colombia."
However, Kaniappan said there should be better monitoring by police and more closed-circuit television cameras installed in crime-prone areas.
While acknowledging that certain areas may face higher crime rates, Klang residents such as Khairul Nizam, 56, and Poh Tin Yee, 33, disputed the notion of equating Klang with Colombia.
They emphasised that efforts were needed to address specific issues, such as the high number of foreigners in the city.
Poh from Batu Belah in north Klang said the crime situation was still under control.
"Maybe in some places, it could be like Colombia, but not in all areas.
"Places like Taman Sentosa, Meru and Taman Intan in Kapar may have higher crime rates."
Khairul from Bandar Baru Klang said his area was relatively safe and that the issue in Klang was the number of foreigners.
"Authorities need to act on this. It is not right to compare it with Colombia. We don't have drug ghettoes, enclaves or such lawlessness here."
G. Rajasekaran, 58, from Bandar Bukit Tinggi 2 said more could be done by the authorities to make Klang an even safer place.
"My wife was robbed at knifepoint twice sometime ago, including once in front of my house.
"Such incidents have forced many housing areas to start implementing gated and guarded schemes to make residential areas safer. But, I think Klang is still a relatively safe area and definitely not like Colombia."
Mohd Hafiz Jaafar, 52, from Bukit Kuda said Klang's image was affected because of the many foreigners residing in the royal city.
"But to say it is like Colombia is not right. People are not carrying out armed robberies daily," he added.
Choo Kian Haw, 34, from Bayu Perdana said he had been a hairstylist in the area for more than 10 years.
"Although a robbery happened near my shop, we don't see such crimes too frequently.
"At night, we do feel afraid of being robbed or of being the target of snatch thieves in the area as it's quiet. It's the same as in any other area within the Klang Valley."
Car airconditioning specialist Kwa Gee Heng, 36, said he had been operating in Bayu Perdana for about 20 years and reiterated that the place was still okay.