Two Cases per Week on Average for the First Seven Months of 2013: Gun-killings are not merely a security issue
KPRU has compiled the latest incidents or gun violence (see the table of KPRU below) and found that a total of 31 cases of assault or murder involving firearms have happened in just four months’ time from April to July of 2013
Recently, the brazen assassinations with the use of firearms have heightened alarm over the law and order of our nation. Over the years, the safety of society is always the core issue. Robbery, kidnapping, theft, snatching and so forth are certainly not uncommon news that get published on mainstream media almost everyday. However, the widespread of gun violence is not merely a security issue. In fact, think-tank Political Studies for Change (KPRU) argues that such cases are the result of defects or demerits that have entrenched in the process of law enforcement and the judicial process for decades in this country.
Besides that, considering Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s statement that government will use the existing legal framework such as the ‘Prevention of Crime Act 1959’ to fight major crimes, including crimes which involving firearms, as was discussed in the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Home Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid, as well as the former Chief Minister of Malacca, Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam should stop pointing finger and blaming the repeal of Emergency Ordinance (EO) or Internal Security Act (ISA) for contributing to the spike in crime, or inciting to call for reviving such draconian acts. Instead, KPRU urged the relevant authorities to review and improve the shortcomings and weaknesses of law enforcement, which including the process of investigations, evidence collection, prosecution and judicial proceedings.
KPRU has compiled the latest incidents or gun violence (see the table of KPRU below) and found that a total of 31 cases of assault or murder involving firearms have happened in just four months’ time from April to July of 2013. A total of 43 people were victimized, wherein 23 were shot dead while 20 were injured. Furthermore, Penang Institute’s study showed that the gun deaths in the first four months of 2013 alone are far more than in 2012. There are 38 cases in total, on average two cases per week. Therefore, based on the two studies by KPRU (April-July) and Penang Institute (Jan to April), it is clear that the gunshot cases happened consistently during the first seven months this year, on average two cases per week. These high numbers of firearms murders immediately trigger the anxiety and fear in the community.
Nonetheless, we should bear in mind that these cases were premeditated firearms murders, unlike the gun violence in US. The killers first trail the intended victim and when the timing is right, the killers then approach the victim and execute at close range. Thus, the modus operandi (MO) of such crimes is indeed highly organized and motivated by personal issues. Moreover, it can be said that almost all of the cases involving the use of firearms are executed by the hit-man. Also, the seemingly easy occurrence of these crimes is attributed to the availability of firearms on the black market. In all, the discussion on rising crime would eventually sway the issue back to weakness of law enforcement and judicial proceedings.
Or in Malay at: http://kpru2010.wordpress.com/2013/08/02/purata-2-kes-seminggu-sepanjang-7-bulan-pertama-kes-tembak-bunuh-bukan-sekadar-isu-keselamatan-2/
