March 19, 2007	Monday	Safar 29, 1428

KUALA LUMPUR: With an eye to early elections, Malaysia is beating the drum about its healthy economy, but surging crime levels offer a stark reminder that the government has yet to deliver on key law-and-order promises. Malaysia expects to host more than 20 million tourists this year as it marks its 50th anniversary of independence, but burglaries, shootouts in shopping malls and motorcycle-borne bag snatchers are just some of the hazards visitors could face.

In recent months, public attention has been riveted by the murder of a Mongolian model whose body was feared to have been blown to bits and the theft of a cargo of $13 million worth of computer chips in northern Penang.

Police figures show that crime in Malaysia rose 14 per cent last year to 225,836 incidents against 198,017 in 2005, and the proportion of serious crimes, such as murder, rape and armed robbery, grew 26 per cent.

Though the government paints a rosy picture of the economy, crime is being fuelled by a volatile mix of factors that includes a huge migrant labour force, the rising cost of living and a vast gulf of deprivation between rich and poor, one analyst said.

“Having a more effective police force would help,” said political analyst and activist Chandra Muzaffar, adding that crucial reform steps suggested in 2005 by a sweeping inquiry into Malaysia’s police force had yet to be carried out. “That is a pity and it shows a lack of political will and an inability to exercise one’s authority,” he said.

Opposition politicians say the government has not fulfilled promises to rein in crime and cast doubt on police data, saying they do not reflect the true problem because people lack confidence in the force, and leave many crimes unreported.—Reuters