There is growing public insecurity these days. Rampant crime is in the news almost every day. Whilst reading the morning papers, we are fed with a daily local diet of murders, rapes, robberies and assaults.

The public turns blue each time the men in blue spew out their assurances that they are in control and all would be well. In reality this does not seem so.

Prominent human rights lawyer P Uthayakumar has been assaulted and threatened at gunpoint by three men. He told the press that the 'police top brass' were behind the vicious attack. This is a very serious allegation. It further shakes the dwindling public's confidence in the police.

It was a very daring assault which happened in a public place - along Jalan Medang in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, and at a time when people normally return home from work - 7.15pm.

It was an attack that occurred in spite of the lawyer's numerous police reports lodged and letters to the inspector-general of police (IGP) regarding the threatening calls he receives each time he takes up a case against the police.

It was an attack that came three weeks after Uthayakumar had lodged a police report that his car's windows were smashed at his office's car park and after he had specifically asked for 24-hour police protection (which was not given).

Why have the police not taken any action? Are they waiting for the lawyer to be badly maimed or his body found in a river one day? Or will some say that all this is a gross exaggeration, an emotional response?

But wasn't this also said when Anwar Ibrahim told a court that he was handcuffed, blindfolded and brutally assaulted - in the police sanctuary of Bukit Aman?

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had initially insisted that no such thing could happen in his Bolehland and went on to say the wounds sustained by Anwar were 'self-inflicted'- only to discover later that his then police chief was responsible for the dastardly act.

If it was established that the police were in fact behind the assault of Uthayakumar, it would be a second black eye for the image of the Royal Malaysian Police - another damned spot which will be etched in the nation's memory for a long time.

The royal commission on the police force must investigate what had taken place. It would be committing a grave 'royal omission' if it were to ignore or take the assault on the human rights lawyer lightly. It should also investigate why the police and the IGP have not taken any action in spite of Uthayakumar's numerous reports and letters.

The prime minister must also put his foot down when the long arm of the law gets out of hand. Pak Lah must protect the public from the police.