Living in fear of being the next victim
Crime is happening everywhere, even at the doorsteps of victims, that one cannot help but wonder when he or she will be next on the list.
There are so many opportunities for me to get robbed – when I get out of the car to open the gate, when I’m unlocking the gate, when I get out of the car after I have parked it in the garage, when I’m locking the gate and when I’m unloading stuff from the car, even after I’ve locked the gate.
Philip Golingai, The Star
HOW many of you cheered when you read that a Tan Sri had gunned down a robber? I did.
Last Thursday, three armed men held up a private clinic in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, at 10pm.
“Everyone was shocked when the three men burst in.
“They were carrying knives and a parang and held it at people’s necks, shouting ‘kasi wang! (give money)’,” said Litya Gunasegaran, a 24-year-old nurse.
“One of them just snatched my necklace and went to another person.”
The robbers grabbed cash and valuables from the doctor and his staff before turning their attention on the patients.
One of them was Pahang Chinese Chamber of Commerce chairman Tan Sri Lam Kam Sang.
The 68-year-old businessman and Raub MCA division chief was in the clinic because he was unwell after dinner.
The Tan Sri was armed with an automatic pistol.
With his finger on the trigger of his Glock 9mm, Lam warned the robbers he would shoot if they did not leave.
Instead, they lunged at him.
One of the robbers slashed him with a parang and Lam sustained slight abrasions on his abdomen. The Tan Sri then fired multiple shots.
The robbers fled the clinic.
One of them was found dead about 30m away with gunshot wounds on his knee, abdomen and buttocks.
Police recovered a knife and a Nissan car outside the clinic.
“The car was stolen during another robbery at a clinic in Kajang on Wednesday,” said Cheras OCPD Asst Comm Mohan Singh.
Lam has no regrets shooting the robber dead.
“He was very aggressive and threatened my life.
“I pumped three shots into him after he tried to slash me a second time.
“If I did not have my gun, it could have been me who would be dead,” he said.
I salute the Tan Sri.
I hope with the death of one of their comrades, the robbers would think twice before they go on their crime spree.
If I had a Glock 9mm and my hands were not trembling with fear, I would have shot the robbers, too.
I had the same thought when I watched a video clip sent to me via Whatsapp by my Twitter friend @kcl1308.
In that clip taken from a CCTV, you can see the automatic house gate opening and a dark-coloured luxury car entering the garage.
While the car was entering, two men in a motorcycle passed by.
As the automatic gate was closing, one of the men wearing a helmet ran into the house.
He whacked the front passenger window with what looked like an iron rod while the motorcyclist waited in front of the house.
He, however, could not break the window and the driver of the luxury car reversed his or her vehicle.
As the car was reversing, the man ran to the driver’s side and tried to smash the window with his iron rod. He then jumped onto the motorcycle and he and his accomplice sped off.
If he or she wanted to, the owner of the luxury car could have rammed the robbers.
But he or she didn’t.
I told myself, if it was me – in the heat of the moment – I would have tried to run down the robber.
But when I thought about it, probably it would not be a good idea as what if the (injured) robber returned to seek revenge.
I was filled with fear and loathing when I watched the video clip.
It reminded of a recent robbery involving my 29-year-old sister’s best friend in Kota Kinabalu.
The modus operandi was the same – robbers entering a house while the automatic gate was opening.
The robbery drives the point home that we are no longer safe – even in our house.
I have heard enough horror stories of daylight robberies happening in my neighbourhood that I am quite fearful whenever I get out of my car at my house.
There are so many opportunities for me to get robbed – when I get out of the car to open the gate, when I’m unlocking the gate, when I get out of the car after I have parked it in the garage, when I’m locking the gate and when I’m unloading stuff from the car, even after I’ve locked the gate.
My only game plan if I’m about to be robbed is to press my car alarm button.
But from my conversations with robbery victims, I don’t think I would dare press that button.
Probably, when parang-wielding men run towards me, I would freeze.
Even if I did press my car alarm button, what could happen?
Probably, my neighbours would think it was just another car alarm going off.
Or even if they rushed out of their house, the robbers would have escaped by then.
I have a feeling that it is just a matter of time before I become a crime statistic. Or is it all in my mind?
