Watchdog group Police Watch and Human Rights Committee is preparing a memorandum on the 'emergence of a new criminal class' to be submitted to Nazri Abdul Aziz, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department.

In a statement today, the group said this would set out current national trends in the crime situation, which it also linked to problems faced by the Indian Malaysian community.

Signed by chairperson RN Rajah, the statement said the committee wrote to the minister today to ask for a meeting to discuss these problems.

"There appears to be an emerging criminal class and increasing violence amongst this community in the last 20 years and we are of the opinion that this problem should be solved at its roots and not with the shotgun approach," Rajah said.

When contacted, committee member and human rights lawyer P Uthayakumar added that it was high time for the government to address the true causes of gangsterism and violence.

"Poverty is the real problem...this is the reason why people get involved in crime. The government should address issues of poverty, the lack of opportunities and also the marginalisation of the community," he said.

He also said that, during the meeting with Nazri, the committee would raise the issue of custodial deaths, police shootings, the Kampung Medan incident and matters relating to his own safety.

Uthayakumar, a vocal critic of police abuses, represented the residents of Kampung Medan after clashes in this squatter area in February 2001.

The committee has published several reports critical of the police. In 200, its report entitled 'Illegal, Unlawful, Ruthless and Brutal Deaths by Police Shootings' claimed that 1.3 deaths occurred daily through police shootings.

Another report published last year stated that 60% of the victims in such shootings were Indians.