DAP appoints Kok to head anti-crime task force

(The Star) –  DAP has appointed Seputeh MP Teresa Kok to head the new crime action task force set up to help restore public safety.

Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who announced Kok’s appointment in a press statement yesterday, said the task force would work towards getting the police to increase the number of CID personnel.

Presently only 10,150 or 9% of the total police force of 112,583 are in the CID.

“The DAP want the numbers of CID officers to be increased to 56,000 or half the force, in order deal with the rise in violent crime.

“The deteriorating crime situation is developing into a full-blown crisis in Malaysia, with adverse impact not only on personal security but also on tourism and the business climate,” said Lim.

He added that the Government could not attribute the spike in cases to the repeal of the Emergency Ordinance.

He pointed out that the repeal of the law, which allowed for preventive detention, could not explain why firearms were now so readily available.

“Only the omnipresence of the police can deter criminals and bring down the crime rate,” he said.