JOHOR BARU: A tongue-in-cheek “public service announcement” on a Singapore Facebook page over crime prevention in Malaysia has provoked a slew of reactions here, including from the police.
On May 5, SGKaypoh posted a picture of a car window pasted with a message saying, “Please do not break my window again, there is nothing to steal,” as well as suggesting that Singapore vehicle owners do the same when entering Malaysia.
Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat said the post was in bad taste and the sentiment is far from reality.
“The post is quite mischievous. Police are always committed to ensuring the safety of all, including Singaporeans who come here.
“An average of 250,000 Singapore-registered cars enter Johor on a daily basis, and if all of these cars have their windows smashed, then we would see long lines of people lodging reports at police stations here,” he said when contacted yesterday.
He added that the percentage of cases involving cars being broken into were quite small and these were isolated incidents.
“To say that Singapore-registered vehicles are always being targeted by thieves is not correct because police have also received reports by Malaysians that their cars were broken into,” said ACP Raub.
He added that car owners have a duty not to leave valuables in their vehicles, which should also not be parked in dark areas or obscure places.
“As part of our crime prevention initiative, police have increased our patrols, especially during the night,” he said.
Among those who commented on the post was Facebook user Maveeran Jay from Petaling Jaya, who questioned why some people continue to keep valuables in their cars.
Ahmad Taqiuddin said Singaporeans should be respectful when entering Malaysia, especially while on Malaysian roads.
“Boleh tapi masuk Malaysia kena hormat jangan pandu laju jangan kurang ajar (Sure but when entering Malaysia you must be respectful, do not speed and do not be rude),” he commented.
Facebook user Hairol Erol commented that petrol stations in Malaysia should also use such posters as a reminder to Singaporean vehicle owners.
“Maybe petrol pumps in Malaysia need to put up a note like this too,” he said, commenting on the fact that some Singapore-registered cars continue to attempt to fill up with our subsidised RON95 petrol.
