More police patrols in Section 12 PJ following house break-ins

PETALING JAYA: Police will step up patrols in Section 12 here following a spate of house break-ins in the area.

Petaling Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Mohamad Fakhrudin Abdul Hamid said police have also formed a task force to curb house break-in cases.

ALSO READ: Veteran newsman devastated after treasured items stolen in multiple break-ins

"We are aware of several house break-ins reported in the area.

"We have also formed a task force to curb break-in cases and we will actively tackle the matter," he said when contacted on Friday (Aug 5).

He was commenting on a story where a house belonging to veteran newsman Subramaniam Harihar, 79, was broken into four times in the past few weeks.

ACP Mohamad Fakhrudin confirmed receiving the reports by Subramaniam.

"We successfully lifted a finger print from the crime scene.

"We are in the midst of identifying the culprit," he said.

It was reported that numerous keepsakes with a special meaning to Subramaniam had been stolen after his house was broken into four times in the past three weeks.

The veteran journalist had been left heartbroken and traumatised after valuables like silverware, brass lamps, watches and other items worth more than RM100,000 were lost during the break-ins at his home here.

What was worse was that many of these keepsakes were reminders of his wife, who passed away in 2014 thus he regarded them as priceless.

"These items hold sentimental value to me as they remind me of my wife and my various travels for work as a foreign correspondent.

"Since my wife passed, I have been living there with my sister.

"My sister is in the hospital as she is unwell and I have been experiencing breathing difficulties due to pulmonary fibrosis.

"I have been staying at a friend's place for the past six weeks but I go back to my house every day to check on it.

"We are lucky we were not there during the break-ins," he said.

Subramaniam said the first break-in was on July 14, followed by the second on July 31 and the third on Aug 1.

"The most recent break-in was on Thursday (Aug 4), probably at night.

"I have yet to go to the house today but my friend said the door is open, which means someone has broken in again," he said.

The house was said to be in disarray as the thieves broke cupboards, removed clothes from shelves, and emptied drawers.