Sense of Security

My parents go for their daily morning walk at Titiwangsa Lake Garden. They always go at 6 something and are back home before 7, before the sun even comes up.

But looking at the current crime rate of our country, I think it's not really safe to go to a park/garden at such an hour, be it Central park in New York, Tuileries Gardens in Paris or our very own Titiwangsa Lake Garden.

As my parents approached our car this morning, ready to go home, they spotted 4 young men smashing the window of the driver's and passenger's seats. They saw my parents, but instead of running away, they taunted my parents more. My dad ran ahead - which, in retrospect, is pretty reckless - to chase after them. Luckily they sped off. They got away with only a cloth from our car, which made this incident even stupider.

All this happened with a guard house beside the parking lot. Most days there would be a guard there, albeit almost everytime my parents see him, he would be fast asleep, totally oblivious to his surroundings. Obviously to him, ignorance is bliss. But today, the guard house is empty.

So we wondered, what's the point of having a guard house if it's not occupied all the time, and even when it is, the guard's asleep?

My parents don't want to report this to the police. They say it takes far more time than it's worth it. I've heard the same comment from several people as well. Those that did file a report, say the police couldn't do anything as well, and it took them the whole day in a police station, with no results, mind you. Crime is still prevalent in their area. In fact, this is the 2nd time my parent's car got smashed in the park. And they think it's the same group of men.

I do lament the state of security of our country is in, where snatch thefts have become the norm. It's hard to find a person who has never been robbed these days. Like, how sad is that?

It used to be that the rakyat's guardians would take care of the bad guys, but now the people have lost faith in them.

My parents only wish to reinstall new windows, got to the park much later in the morning and hope this incident won't happen a 3rd time.