Concern over crime, security

THE Year of the Fire Monkey saw theSun breaking ground with exclusive human interest stories and those concerning policies that affect the nation.
Our team worked with the police on investigations into a scam to fleece people in need of organ transplants.
We embarked on a sting for several months with the Anti-Trafficking in Persons division of the Criminal Investigations Department to uncover an organ trafficking syndicate, starting in late March.
The operation took off after we monitored a Facebook page, ostensibly dedicated to the sale of human organs for transplants.
Negotiations stretched over four months, which included meetings with syndicate members, including a “donor”.
Negotiations opened at RM150,000 with 75% payment upfront to cover the organ donation and transplant surgery.
However, the Attorney-General’s Chambers declared the case had no substantive evidence for charges to be filed.
The department concluded there was lack of evidence to enable the suspect to be charged under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act for human trafficking, nor for cheating and dishonesty under the Penal Code.
The Facebook page continues to operate until today.
theSun also tested security levels at the KL International Airport (KLIA) in light of terror attacks across the globe, which included the bombings at Brussels Airport in Zaventem, Belgium, on March 22 and in Istanbul on June 28. The attacks left more than 77 dead and hundreds injured.
In our “mission” at KLIA, a reporter dressed as a fully covered-up woman to “infiltrate” and check on the alertness of security personnel at KLIA, one of the main entry points in the country.
The undercover reporter, carrying a canvas bag, loitered around busy spots at the airport for two hours, at the arrival and departure halls, moving past security personnel on patrol several times, and from time to time fiddling with the contents of her bag.
Despite her odd behaviour and movements, airport security staff surprisingly did not even glance her way during the entire two-hour “infiltration”.
Illegal 4D bookies, especially those with police records, may soon find themselves locked away for up to two years under the Prevention of Crime Act (Poca).
The announcement came in the wake of concerns by netizens who questioned how some illegal 4D operators were able to spring back into business soon after a police raid.
theSun had reported on the mushrooming of illegal 4D betting operators in the country, which is taking a large chunk of profits away from legitimate gaming companies. This deprives the government of a whopping RM3 billion in tax revenue annually.
Despite police efforts in the last two years in reducing the number of illegal gambling establishments, they are still faced with stubborn resistance in certain districts, where the 4D betting and gambling operators, who had been arrested earlier and those with police records, continued to operate in the same area.
It was learnt that runners caught during a raid are usually investigated under the Common Gaming Houses Act 1953, under which they can be fined up to RM5,000 or be jailed for up to six months.
However, recent cases suggest that some who were charged under the Act have been let off with light sentences.
With the introduction of ride-hailing services like Uber and Grab, as many as 10,000 conventional cab drivers in the Klang Valley could have returned their taxis to their companies.
This is despite many taxi companies trying to encourage cabbies to retain their vehicles by offering massive discounts in down-payment and daily rental rates over the last six months.
The stiff competition could also force the companies to shut down, with the exodus of drivers from the industry due to stiff competition from Uber and Grab.
Operators lamented that they had no choice but to close if the trend of drivers returning their cabs continues.
However, Grab announced that it is open to have more taxi drivers joining it in future, following an outcry from cabbies that Grab and Uber robbed them of their customers.
This year alone, there were two protests held by cabbies in Kuala Lumpur, on April 8 and March 29, which led to several hours of traffic congestion.
However, the plan backfired as customers related on the internet and WhatsApp that they turned the tables on the cabbies by turning to e-hailing services to provide ride services.
Underworld gangs were reportedly making a comeback to regain lost “territories” and reviving their illegal activities, after a major police crackdown three years ago.
According to police, recent months saw a spike in secret society activities, particularly gangs attempting to regain lost turf. The turf wars have led to more than a dozen gang members being killed or maimed.
The growing use of firearms has also left police concerned as to whether the problem, addressed in 2013 under Ops Cantas Khas, had returned with greater intensity.
Federal police CID assistant director and head of anti-vice, gambling and secret society (D7) SAC Datuk Roslee Chik told theSun that it all boiled down to the enormous gains from drugs and protection money.
He said gangland activities mainly involved secret societies rampant in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor and Negri Sembilan.
In the Klang Valley, Gang 36, Gang 08 and Gang Satu Hati are responsible for most of the crimes linked to secret societies.
Roslee said the CID is determined to deal with this growing menace together with the Special Task Force on Organised Crime (Staffoc), formed two years ago.
Proposals to limit the number of foreign workers were also raised, where the Malaysian Employers Federation suggested a cap of either 30% or 50% of the manpower strength in non-essential sectors.
The sectors include restaurants, convenience stores and hypermarkets.
The Malaysian Trade Union Congress lent its support to the proposal, saying employers not only needed to play a role in reducing foreign workers, but should also be willing to pay locals what they deserve instead of using foreign labour.
A Human Resources Ministry official said there was no law to cap the percentage of foreign workers that employers have in their workforce.
“Until we find a way to strike a balance, there is nothing the ministry can do to get employers to hire locals. It is up to them,” the source said.
It was reported that some 15,000 English teachers nationwide were not adequately equipped to teach the subject.
This was the main reason for the Education Ministry’s delay in implementing a compulsory pass for English in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, theSun learned.
Deputy Education Minister Datuk P. Kamalanathan confirmed the matter, saying it would be unfair to implement the policy on the compulsory pass in SPM English when the teachers themselves are not proficient.
He said the ministry aims to upgrade these teachers through its training programmes, that have been implemented since 2013.
Stressing that the 15,000 English teachers are just a part of the 60,000 nationwide, he said more than 20,000 of them are proficient and adequately equipped to teach the language.
Education and parents’ groups, including Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia, Concerned Parents of Selangor and the Association of Parents and Individuals towards Revising the Education System were critical of the flip-flop, stating it would affect the students badly.