This morning, I held a press conference to highlight how Malaysia’s international image is hurt by a) police inaction and b) unscrupulous bus companies.
In this case, the police made no effort to help or investigate a case where two visitors from America had their luggage and notebook worth about RM5000 stolen. And the bus company who was negligent and said that they will compensate them for the loss has only given them the runaround instead.
On 30 May 2010, Rosnani Yahya and Col (Rtd) Charles Stokes travelled by bus from Shah Alam to Johor Bharu and had put their luggage in the bus luggage compartment. Upon their arrival in JB, they discovered that their luggage had been stolen. They lodged a police report in JB but the police there gave the excuse that the theft occured in Shah Alam and said that they had to go all the way to Shah Alam to lodge the police report again. How can the police fight crime if they don’t communicate with each other?
By chance, Rosnani’s friend in London was surprised to notice a strange man using Rosnani’s Skype account. She even had a chat with him. The man on the web cam said he was at KLIA. Her friend could see that there were people walking behind the man and that they seemed to be in uniform. This friend was alert enough to take a screen capture and quickly forwarded the picture to Rosnani.
With this picture, Rosnani and Charles then travelled all the way to Shah Alam to give the police the picture and the information that the suspect could be working in KLIA. The Shah Alam police had the gall to say that they did not understand what Skype was, or how the picture could have been taken, and that they cannot investigate, and told them, these non-Malaysians, that they had to go all the way to KLIA to look for the man themselves! Such apathy and “tidak apa” attitude is very disappointing and does nothing to inspire confidence in our police force!
Meanwhile, Rosnani and Charles had also contacted the bus company, Eagle Express to claim compensation. They talked with Eagle Express in JB for days but Eagle Express in JB was uncooperative and asked them to contact the company in Klang. They then travelled to the Klang office who then referred them to the ticket counter. After numerous calls, they finally had a meeting with the Eagle Express Manager, a Encik Misnan, for which he was late 3 hours. Encik Misnan admitted that the bus company was at fault for negligence and that the company would compensate them for the lost luggage. However, since that meeting, Mr Misnan has not contacted them again, and he switches off his phone whenever Rosnani and Charles tries to phone him. At one point, they were able to reach Mr Misnan, Mr Misnan told them “I thought you’d be gone (home) by now.” and suddenly changed his tune and said that he is not a representative of the company.
Experiences like this really hurt our international image as a warm, friendly and safe country for tourists and investors alike to say nothing about the confidence towards our police force in protecting us and battling crime.
If not for this bad experience, Charles said that he has been to Malaysia many times and that he really likes Malaysia.
I have since spoken to the OCPD who has said that he will refer this case to the Malaysian Communications And Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for further investigation.
I have also spoken to the Selangor CPO who said that he will have this case investigated. I hope that the police will honour their word and not simply pass the buck around.
I also hope that anyone who has come into contact with the luggage or the contents of the luggage would please return them to Charles and Rosnani. Their contact details are clearly labelled on their bag and belongings.
Typical service from Malaysia company and government department.
useless police. the robbers and thieves are smarter and more hard working than these consumer of tax money
in this internet age, borderless world, break neck speed, high mobility capability, the PRDM is still stuck at stone age.
Malaysia is not a big country and why can’t the JB office take a report and email it to Shah Alam or put in a common databse.
Now we have shared service office in M’sia servicing middle east, australia, etc..and this PDRM with formidable budget allocation can’t even do a simple thing right
it is one thing to show your disgraceful side to Malaysians…but to buang muka negara di peringkat antarabangse….sigh. if Hishammuddin wants to lodge a report against Nurul Izzah for shaming Malaysia image, then he will do well to be consistent with these offcers
one thing we do in malaysia..when things goes wrong..I dont know !!! is standard operating answer! to charles and rosnani..welcome to i dont know land!
I am so sorry to hear of the above episode and the difficulities that ROSNANI and CHARLES had to endure.
As far as I know there is directive from the
police headquarters that a person can make a police report at any police station within the country that he/she chooses to make, and the officer at that station “MUST ACCEPT” that report. A copy of the said report can be extracted for documentation purposes from that police station. The directive further says that if the police officer refuses to accept that report he/she may refer this matter to Bukit Aman as it goes against their direct directive.
The above piece of information was actually highlighted in the Malaysian press on several occassions in the past. You may however want to call Bukit Aman to verify it.
As to what the police do with the report is another matter. But generally it will be, immediately passed to the revellant person in charge (Investgating officer) who will then call the victims to record their statements for further action if needed.
A friend.
Don’t waste your time !
Malaysian police inaction on many issues pertaining
to Umno in particular are already well known abroad.
Please don’t expect to turn cow horns into ivory tasks !
how come Rosnani did not advised her friend not to put notebook in the bus luggage compartment…?
One would have thought the police would have stepped up with the photo capture of the man using the said laptop and swung into action. Instead they stepped aside, handed a shovel to the victim and told him to dig his own path. I’m sad to know that PDRM doesn’t even bother, we can’t even trust them to do what’s right … but everything else that’s wrong. There’s almost nothing left to be proud of being a Malaysian.
Whether or not it is a notebook or not is simply not the point here !