The Canny Ong case is another tragic case and proves how our crime prevention system has not kept in tune with the times.

Now we have the usual uproar about closed circuit cameras (cctv) and security guards (there was a recent story about how anyone can sign up as one) in car parks.

But we should also consider how the police deal with such cases.

The person was reported missing after she failed to collect the car and meet up with her party - is there a 48-hour waiting period before the police start to take action? Were the police officers who ended up with the two identity cards aware that one of them was the missing person?

Perhaps if we do not deploy so many policemen to escort the so-called VIPs on trivial errands, then maybe more 'mata-mata' can devote more time to protect the weak and the helpless.

(Editor's note: It was claimed that at the time the two policemen saw the victim and her abductor, her family were in the midst of lodging a report)

If the cops with the identity cards had informed police headquarters of the incident, police helicopters could have been deployed within minutes of the call. Is that too much to expect to save a woman's life?

It is time to review the facilities and methods used by the police to combat crime, especially when it deals with human lives. Meanwhile, we should all exercise some simple basic security measures until we develop a better security force.