Early this month, tongues were wagging as to a certain piece of news. But this time it was not the bedroom scandals of politicians or the ownership of the word "God" that got people talking. Actually the news in question was rather positive, and should have warmed our hearts, but it didn't!
As good as this finding looks in terms of public relations, the reality is far different for most of us, and this is why we will not be popping champagne anytime soon.
- Snatch thefts, snatch thefts, snatch thefts!! Many people have lost their lives to this rampant crime.
- Public transportation is not safe. Remember those taxi rapes? And those are just the reported cases. Malaysian cab drivers have also been known to rob their passengers! Things are definitely not looking good for us in this sector.
- Rape by those in authority - Students have been molested and raped by teachers, National Service instructors and college lecturers.
- The acid splasher - has the dude been caught??
- Neighbourhood crimes - Many people have met a bloody end in their own homes. These days many housing developments are offering gated security with patrols and such. Gated communities will be a norm in the future I foresee.
- Little children are far from safe, as we have read from the papers recently.
- Security guards - you see them everywhere - but how trustworthy are they? Many crimes have been attributed to them too. Poor screening process, too many small time security firms. The end result is that the safety of the people they should be protecting gets compromised.
- Drivers have been subjected to carjacking and armed robbery. Never stop for anyone is the safety motto.
- To be honest I don't trust the men in blue. Do you? Cops have been known to peep on female detainees performing nude squats and even rape. While in uniform to boot! Sometimes it's not them but those who impersonate them! Is it that easy to get police uniforms, badges etc......?
When the findings by the Global Peace Index (GPI) was first reported, the reaction of most Malaysians was one of irony. Some said it was a paid for report by a corrupt government that wanted to make it's administration look good, and boost tourism among others.
However I doubt that the reach of our government is so great that it can influence the Sydney based Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP) which releases the annual GPI report.
About the GPI
Now in its fifth year, it ranks 153 nations according to their "absence of violence" and level of peacefulness. The GPI is developed under the guidance of an international panel of independent experts. Countries are measured based on 23 indicators such as - military expenditure, relations with neighbouring countries, percentage of inmates in prison, crime rates and political stability.
In relation to our Southeast Asian neighbours minus Singapore, we are definitely more politically stable. I mean how easy is it to stage a demonstration or riot in Malaysia? Before that can happen, the government will probably lockdown the whole country!
As much as I think this report is not corrupt, it definitely does not reflect how the majority of Malaysians view our country. Which kinda indicates that reports churned out by think-tanks and research institutes are rough indicators at best. You wanna know what people really think, what the real sentiment is, go on Facebook and Twitter. The truth is out there!
FYI the top 10 safest countries in the world are:
- Iceland
- New Zealand
- Japan
- Denmark
- Czech Republic
- Austria
- Finland
- Canada
- Norway
- Slovenia
Read the full 2011 report here:
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