ADUN SPEAKS The inspector-general of police (IGP) and Home Ministry must immediately stop playing politics and approve the applications from the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) and any other local councils in Selangor to establish auxiliary police force units to combat crime.

To assist the battle against crime, MBPJ in February 2009 to the IGP to establish an auxiliary police force unit and allocated RM4.3 million to train and equip 100 personnel from its enforcement unit to complement the police force in PJ.

However, the application was rejected in 2010, based on the lame excuse that the crime rate had dropped and there was no need for MBPJ to have its own auxiliary police unit as it would have "overlapping functions" with the police force.

MBPJ in June 2012 again applied to set up an auxiliary police unit in the city and it is until now yet to receive a response from the IGP.

We are extremely disappointed that the police force is playing politics on such a vital issue as the setting up of the auxiliary police force and refusing to give priority to the safety and security of Selangor residents.

In fact, the establishment of auxiliary police forces is one of the initiatives recommended under Najib's Government Transformation Programme (GTP) to reducing crime (NKRA).

Double-standards clearly shown

Nevertheless, the IGP and Home Ministry have clearly shown double-standards in the grant of for the approval of auxiliary police force units, as outlined under the Police Act 1967 (Part IX, 47-50).

There are 123 agencies administering auxiliary police operations in 25 government agencies, 21 statutory bodies, 32 government-linked companies (GLC) and 45 other companies.

GLCs such as Telekom Malaysia, Tenaga Nasional Bhd and Petronas, as well as private companies such as Astro, PLUS, Puncak Niaga and even Utusan Melayu, are allowed to have their own auxiliary police units.

Therefore, why should the people of Petaling Jaya be deprived of the right to a safe living environment?

Most importantly, why is it that local councils in states under the BN, such as Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru and Majlis Bandaraya Melaka, can have their own auxiliary police forces but MBPJ continues to be denied permission to do so by the IGP and Home Ministry?

Residents forced to act on their own

As a result of the neglect by the IGP and the Home Minister, PJ residents are forced to take action into their own hands by paying hundreds of ringgit annually for private security barricades, boom gates and guardhouses in order to contain the level of crime in the city.

Despite this, many residents continue to fall victims to frightening cases of crime. Just two days ago, on June 12, a restaurant in Taman Megah was robbed by three men carrying parang.

PJ needs to double its police force to ensure a safer environment for the residents. With a population of about 620,000 since last year, the city only has 1,323 police officers.

In other words, each police officer there needs to protect 470 residents. This police-population ratio of 1:470 is far higher than the optimal ratio of 1:250 recommended by the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol).

police checkpoint in sabah lahad datu intrudersLooking at the urgency of rising and more audacious crimes in PJ and the Klang Valley, we would like to call upon the IGP and Home Ministry to immediately respond to our application to set up an auxiliary police for in Petaling Jaya.

They must show their sincerity to walk Najib's talk of ‘rakyat didahulukan', for there should be no room for politics when it comes to the safety of the people.

The local councils under Pakatan Rakyat are willing to work closely with the police to ensure that the rakyat's right to live in a safe and protected environment is not compromised.

YEO BEE YIN is DAP social media strategist and assemblyperson for Damansara Utama.