In a statement today, MARAH founder Dave Avran said that MARAH Sarawak aims to create various platforms not only to share information, safety tips and warnings on hot crime areas and to function as a support group for victims, but also to set up a 24/7 real time crime watch portal for crime prevention, crime hotspots and pattern detection to tip off the police and residents in affected areas.
“The safety of every Malaysian citizen is our constitutional right. Each time we go out, our females shouldn’t have to mentally and physically prepare themselves in the event their car window gets smashed by a passing motorbike and their handbag snatched, or they get assaulted and robbed at a mall car park, or even abducted and raped,” said Dave.
He added that plans are being made to set up a community centre to assist the public with crime-related matters.
“We also intend to create extensive media coverage of our safety concerns. If necessary, we will launch a media campaign about the importance of safety issues.”
Being the country’s first online NGO, MARAH was set up by Dave and Veronica Ng as a Facebook group in 2012 with the aim of promoting crime and safety awareness, advocacy and to act as a pressure group to bring about positive changes with regards to public safety issues pertaining to crime.
Dave lauded the government’s efforts in reducing crime, citing how the Reducing Crime NKRA (National Key Results Areas) under the GTP (Government Transformation Programme) and Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) had reduced the crime rate from 147,062 cases in 2013 to 128,544 in 2014, i.e. a reduction of 12.6%.
“MARAH aims to lobby for the safety of our loved ones – daughters, sisters, mothers, aunts, girlfriends, wives, husbands, fathers, sons and boyfriends,” said Dave.
“We will name the names of criminals in our Hall of Shame. We will follow court cases and post pictures of perpetrators who are successfully prosecuted.”
He has called on the public to sign their online petition to lobby for safety, encouraging them to visit the Facebook page and increase their numbers to make their collective voice heard and to “reclaim ownership of a safer Sarawak for all”.
No comments:
Post a Comment