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DAP would seek a meeting with the IGP tan Sri Norian Mai on the double rise of the crime rate and the fear of crime and the crisis of confidence in the professionalism, competence and effectiveness of the police Media Conference Statement by Lim Kit Siang (Sandakan,  Saturday): DAP would seek a meeting with the IGP tan Sri Norian Mai on the double rise of the crime rate and the fear of crime and the crisis of confidence in the professionalism, competence and effectiveness of the police.  The various statements by the police officers and the government leaders, especially the Deputy Home Minister Datuk Chor Chee Heung, raises fundamental questions about police readiness to ensure a safe environment to protect the life and property of citizens.   The brutal Canny Ong case has brought to the very forefront public concerns about safety in the street, public places and at home; the unchecked rise in crime particularly sex offences and the inability or failure of police to realise that a policy of public accountability and transparency is vital to ensure the people’s support to reduce crime and the fear of crime.   Every year, the government spends more than RM2 billion on the police but the question is whether all these public funds have been properly and productively spent. The police must be more people friendly and accept the principle of democratic governance whereby there are proper avenue for the people to channel their criticisms and proposals about improvement in the police service.   The announcement by police officers that out of 85,000 police personnel, only 6,000 are involved in fighting crimes and out of this small number, half are engaged in investigation work, exposes the weakness and the vulnerability of the police system to protect the public in the street, public places and at home from crime. There must be a national debate as to whether the police had achieved optimum efficiency with the resources available to them.   This will be the subject of the DAP meeting with the IGP.    (5/7/2003) * Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman