Martial Arts Exponents To Combat Street Crime?

Granted, we do not know for certain whether crime rates have indeed gone done as the authorities continue to tell us. But Malaysians generally don't feel assured.

The Star 11 July 2012

However, instead of the authorities coming out to assure Malaysians that they will step up efforts to combat crime, we have the Information, Communication and Culture minister Rais Yatim asking martial arts exponents to help fight street crime.

He was quoted by the Star newspaper yesterday to have said after the opening of the Pendekar office at Taman Melaka Raya, Melaka

Fighting crime is not only the work of the police. Those who have skills in martial arts can also be roped in to help reduce street crime

Is this an admission that our police force have failed in their crime fighting? This is very strange, and shouldn't be the case, as Malaysia has one of the highest police to population ratios in the world.

We have about a 100,000 strong police force and a population of about 28 million. It works out to one policeman to 280 Malaysians.

In 2000, we had about 354 policemen to 100,000 population which worked out to a ratio of one policeman to 282 Malaysians, among some of the highest ratios then.

Some cynical Malaysians say that the current unsatisfactory crime situation is owing to an administration that is more concerned in using certain parties to fight their perceived political enemies instead of having them out in the streets fighting crime.

For example, they point out that whenever Anwar Ibrahim is out in town giving a ceramah hundreds of police personnel would be deployed and there would seem to be more policemen attending the ceramah and than those on the streets.

BTW, something else that Rais Yatim was also quoted to have said had me puzzled.

Try this

..As exponents, they can employ non-combatant (emphasis mine) methods to thwart criminals by using their bare hands

Oh yeah? How?

Apparently this

Their agile movements will also be helpful in nabbing the suspects

Haha. But why 'also'?

I think what Rais meant is that a criminal on seeing a martial arts vigilante will just give in and greet the silat lincah or shaolin or karate fler or whatever, by saying to the latter

Bang (a respectful Malay address to someone his senior) ku penjenayah, jom, mari lah gari tanggan ku (Elder brother, I am a criminal, come just handcuff me) 

Haha. Cool man!

And our regular police force might soon be out of a job.

Perhaps serves them right!