Safety should be a private-public partnership

MALAYSIANS are increasingly taking responsibility for their own security. In many neighbourhoods, residents pay for security guards and to install CCTV systems and access barriers. Some go further with their own homes, investing in alarm systems, automatic gates, and electric fencing.

This is understandable as many residents have experienced burglaries, thefts and other crimes. Yet this raises an important question: How much security should residents be expected to provide for themselves before public authorities assume greater responsibility?