Media Conference Statement by Parliamentary Opposition Leader and DAP MP for Ipoh Timur Lim Kit Siang at DAP PJ Hqrs on Friday, 11th January 2008:

Sharlinie Nashar and Nurin Jazimin are stark reminders that crime knows no race or religion and all Malaysians must unite as one people to demand that the government deliver “Good Cops, Safe Malaysia” as its first duty to citizens, visitors, tourists and investors

It is so heart-rending for Malaysians that so soon after the tragedy of the eight-year-old Nurin Jazimin, who was abducted and murdered with her body found in a sports bag a month after she was kidnapped there is now the case of five-year-old Sharlinie Nashar, abducted in Taman Medan, Petaling Jaya on Wednesday – a few kilometers from where Nurin’s body was found.

The hearts of all Malaysians go out to the aggrieved parents, Mohd Nasyar Mat Hussain and Suraya Ahmad and pray that no harm would come to her and that she would be returned and reunited with her family immediately.

The manhunt for Sharlinie must be supported by every Malaysian in the country and all DAP MPs, State Assembly members, leaders and members join in the call to the abductors to return her to her parents and family safely and immediately.

The cases of Sharlinie Nashar and Nurin Jazimin are stark reminders to drive home three sad but salient points about Malaysia which had just celebrated its 50th Merdeka anniversary:

• The Malaysian society has become a very dangerous and unsafe place for adults, women and children with crime reaching endemic proportion, with the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi expressing alarm at the 13.4% rise in crime rate for last year;

• Crime knows no race or religion as all Malaysians are potential victims of crime including violent crimes, regardless of their racial and religious backgrounds.

• The urgent need for all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or political beliefs, to unite as one people to demand that the government deliver “Good Cops, Safe Malaysia” as its first duty to citizens, visitors, tourists and investors and to restore to Malaysians the twin fundamental rights to be free from crime and the fear of crime!

It is for this reason that a “Good Cops, Safe Malaysia” theme will feature prominently in the DAP campaign for the forthcoming general election expected to be held within 65 days.

In the past 11 general elections for the past half-a-century, law-and-order and low crime has never featured as a significant election campaign theme.

DAP has decided to set the precedent to make law-and-order and low crime a top election issue because of the endemic crime in the country - as Malaysians have never felt so unsafe in their own country today as compared to the past 50 years or even just four years ago!

I call on all political parties, both Barisan Nasional and Opposition parties, to make “Good Cops, Safe Malaysia” a common top election theme – to recognize that the failure to protect the personal safety and property security of Malaysians, visitors, tourists and investors is one of the country’s greatest failures after 50 years of nationhood and the need for a national resolve by all Malaysians and political parties to give topmost priority to make Malaysia a safe country again for her citizens, visitors, tourists and investors.

During the weekend, I will join Perak DAP leaders in a two-day “whistle-stop” visit to 12 centres in Perak to carry the message that all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, political party, gender or age, should make “Good Cops, Safe Malaysia” the common national objective to make the streets, public places and privacy of the homes safe again!

Among the areas to be visited will be:

Saturday 12/1

1. Bidor Market - 8 am
2. Sungei Siput Market - 11 am
3. Taiping - 1 pm
4. Pantai Remis - 3 pm
5. Sitiawan - 4 pm
6. Chui Chak -6 pm
7. Teluk Intan - 8 pm (ceramah)

Sunday 13/1

1. Pasir Pinji Market - 8 am
2. Ipoh Central Market - 9 am
3. Lawan Kuda - 12 noon
4. Kampar - 3 pm
5. Bercham - 8 pm (ceramah)

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* Lim Kit Siang, Parliamentary Opposition Leader, MP for Ipoh Timur & DAP Central Policy and Strategic Planning Commission Chairman