'I never thought it would happen to me'

However, being in the media industry, regularly writing about such incidents is a norm and as such, I am always wary about approaching motorcycles.

I always make it a rule to stuff my wallet into my pocket and carry a handbag filled with only my writing pad, pens and keys whenever I walk on the street.

But on June 30, I forgo this rule of mine, tossing my wallet containing my identity card, driving licence, ATM cards and my mobile phone into my handbag, because I was only seconds away from the elevator that would take me to my house in PPR Air Panas in Setapak.

In the blink of an eye, my handbag was snatched.

The lone man on a motorbike smacked me hard on my shoulders until my handbag fell onto my arm and in a split second he grabbed my handbag, splitting my skin in the process. I suffered a long, red scratch on my arm as a result.

It happened so fast that for a moment, I thought I was having a nightmare.

When I was jolted back to my senses after the numbing shock, I realised that my handbag had indeed been snatched. I even saw the culprit checking the contents of my bag as he rode away in a leisurely manner, leaving a helpless me and the throbbing pain on my arm behind.

Later that evening, I faced an investigating officer (IO), who took my statement with nonchalance, informing me that mine was the fourth snatch theft case that happened in the area last month.

"That's a pretty high number, considering that it all took place in June. What are the efforts taken by police to catch the culprits?" I asked him.

"No, the number is low, actually. We've done our part, patrolling the area from 8am to 10pm daily. Unfortunately, the snatch thieves strike either before or after our patrols," the young IO said.

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Next, when I asked why patrolling efforts were not increased despite knowing that snatch thefts happen regularly, the IO blamed the lack of manpower.

He also said when they do catch the culprits, it's usually not the end of the crime as they (culprits) have a broad network of relatives and friends who continue to prey on unsuspecting victims, mostly females.

"If the problem is that severe, shouldn't the police be on the lookout round-the-clock? Why not set up a police beat base in high crime rate areas like this PPR?" I asked.

"Try suggesting that to the higher authorities," was his reply.

Here, the blame game and the 'passing the responsibility' game starts yet again.

Building an affordable place for the rakyat is one thing, but authorities must also make sure the area is safe for living.

Instead of just focusing on building more affordable homes, the Local Government and Housing Ministry also need to consider the safety aspects.

How many PPR and public housing areas are installed with CCTVs? How many of these housing areas come with proper security guards?

It is high time the ministry, together with the police and local councils, take this escalation in crime rate seriously and do something about it proactively.