SERDANG: Recent incidents of violent crimes are not indicative of a rising crime rate nationwide, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein on Sunday.

He said that such cases were not so frequent as to reflect deteriorating safety in Malaysia

“One or two cases do not affect the crime rate, but if the cases are constantly played up, then it will create the perception that the country is not safe,” he said at a press conference after launching a gathering of his ministry's Youth Squad here.

Bersih steering committee member Wong Chin Huat was injured after being attacked while jogging in Petaling Jaya Saturday morning, while teacher Teoh Soo Kim, 51, is fighting for her life after she was brutally beaten up when she was abducted and robbed on Wednesday.

Hishammuddin said the Government promised three years ago to tackle street crime and also focus on 50 hotspots across the country. The promises have been kept, he added.

“I don't deny that in terms of perception, we need to improve our actions. But the 11% drop in crime rate was not said by us. International bodies said it,” he said, urging the public to inform the authorities if there were areas that needed urgent attention.

Hishammuddin said that he would discuss with the relevant ministries, local authorities and the private sector on the possibility of mandatory 24-hour surveillance of parking lots after a spate of robberies and attempted abductions in the past two weeks.

“We have to talk to them and see whether (there are) legal (obstacles) or operational matters... we are open to any kind of contribution that will help.”

The Minister, meanwhile, said the Government was considering a move to expand police presence at schools in a bid to increase public confidence in the safety of children in such public places.

Hishammuddin said the cabinet had discussed this issue after the recent kidnapping of Dutch boy Nayati Shamelin Moodliar.

“We will also try to involve the volunteer corps, such as Rela in this. We believe that, with the increased presence at certain areas at certain times, it would change the perception (of poor public safety),” he said.

Nayati was abducted near his home on April 27 by two men in a car, but released six days later after a RM300,000 ransom was paid.

Three people have so far been charged for the kidnapping, and police believe the mastermind is still at large in Europe.

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