Rattled Malaysians turning to bodyguards, bullet-proofed cars

(The Malaysian Insider) – Many Malaysians are looking to bullet-proofing their cars or hiring bodyguards amidst the rise in shooting cases in the country which has sparked fear for their safety.

According to Singapore daily, The Straits Times, manufacturers of bullet- proof glass for cars and homes reported getting more inquiries and business than usual, while agencies providing bodyguards and security consulting services were beefing up staff strength in anticipation of increased demand.

A director of a bulletproof-shield manufacturer, James Ooi, said the company used to get about four local clients a month before the spate of shootings.

“In the past few days, we have received 15 calls daily from clients asking us to provide bullet-proof shields for their cars,” he told the Singapore Straits Times yesterday.

Ooi said it costs between RM30,000 and RM50,000 to bullet-proof a car, depending on the size of the doors and windows.

In one of the recent shooting incidents, the victims were shot while they were in their cars.

Anti-crime body MyWatch chief R. Sri Sanjeevan was shot as his car stopped at a traffic light in his hometown in Bahau, Negri Sembilan last Saturday. He remains in Serdang hospital where doctors are waiting for his condition to stabilise before removing a bullet lodged in his abdomen.

The Singapore daily also reported that the public’s concern was growing at a time when Malaysians are already grappling with the higher incidence of other crimes, including robbery and snatch theft.

Bodyguard agencies are also expecting demand for their service to rise.

Jack Yin, who runs a bodyguard agency, said he was recruiting more personnel as he expects demand to go up in the next few weeks.

“Demand for bodyguards usually goes up about 20% in the one or two weeks after a spike in crime,” he said, adding that on a monthly average, he gets three to four clients.

Yin said hiring an armed bodyguard for 12 hours a day for 28 days would cost about RM9,000.

Ebrand Chettri, who also owns a bodyguard agency, said he was planning to equip his 20 bodyguards with bullet-proof vests.

“It is a one-off cost for me but I would rather pay than take chances with my staff’s safety. Prevention is better than cure,” he said.