Reflection on Articles

Actually, I am very shocked that cyber crimes top the list of the most common crime in Malaysia. I didn't expect the number of cases of cyber crimes could be that high. More than 4,000 cybercrime cases were reported in Malaysia within 2007 and 2008. Most widespread of financial crimes in Malaysia were financial statement frauds, procurement frauds and misappropriation of assets. The reason is because Malaysia is not well-equipped and trained to deal with such crimes

Street racing is still more common to me because I have heard and read lots of cases about it. Almost everyday (maybe I'm exaggerating), you can see newspaper articles about 'Mat Rempits'(illegal motorcycle racers). Besides disrupting the flow of traffic with their dangerous races, they also commit other crimes- gang rapes, bullying, snatch theft, break-ins, robbing petrol station customers, etc. In addition, I have witnessed them in action on streets myself. Thus, in a way, they have become part of the culture of youngsters in Malaysia because most of the offenders are teenagers. They get involve in these crimes because of several reasons- peer pressure, boredom, family issues. From illegal racing, they are influenced to take part in other crimes as I've mentioned above.

Article Which Disagrees With My Views

Cyber Crime Tops List of Most Common Crimes in Malaysia

Financial and cyber crimes are the most common crimes committed in Malaysia, according to Malaysian national news outlet Bernama.

Tommy Seah, honorary group chairperson of International Cybercrime and Forensics Examiner Group of Companies, said the most widespread of financial crimes in Malaysia were financial statement frauds, procurement frauds and misappropriation of assets.

“Malaysia is a pretty docile country but we are also not well equipped in preventing such crimes,” he said in an interview with Bernama on Tuesday. “Skills and knowledge can be transferred and acquired and Malaysia has the ability, but the corporate will to put the house in order is more vital.”

Seah said one of the reasons why people commit economic crimes is their desire for a better quality of life; when they cannot achieve that legitimately, they tend to adopt illegal ways of getting what they want.

The ICFE and CSI World Headquarters are planning on organizing a two-day International Cyber and Economic Crime Conference in Kuala Lumpur beginning June 15 to educate professionals and to provide citizens an opportunity to update their skills, especially in digital forensics.

“We are expecting professionals from both the public and private sectors who will gather insights about the field from esteemed local and international speakers,” Seah told Bernama.

Article Which Agrees With My Views On Mat Rempit

Mat Rempit gang up to rob

Saturday April 18, 2009
Mat Rempit gang up to rob
By STEVEN DANIEL

KUALA LUMPUR: Mat Rempit showed their ruthlessness when they pounced on their victims and bashed one up in two separate incidents within 24 hours.

In the first incident that happened at Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Damansara Utama at 6.20am on Thursday, a 51-year-old housewife was walking her 16-year-old son to the bus stop to wait for the schoolbus when they were approached by at least 40 Mat Rempit on 20 motorcycles.

They surrounded the terrified mother and son before pushing the boy away and grabbing her gold bracelet worth around RM1,000. Fortunately both did not suffer injuries.

The victim in the second case was not so lucky as he was bashed up with helmets and sticks before being relieved of his wallet and two mobile phones.

The 27-year-old man was re-turning home to Sentul after work at 4.30am yesterday and had stopped in front of the National Museum near Jalan Travers to make a phone call.

He was reported to have noticed at least 15 motorcycles speeding past him and did a U-turn upon seeing him.

The Mat Rempit members beat him up with sticks and helmets before robbing him. The victim suffered bruises to his face and back.

Brickfields OCPD Asst Comm Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Khalid who confirmed both incidents urged witnesses to both incidents to SMS to Rakan Cop or call the police at 03-2115 9999.

What crimes/offences are most common in Malaysia?

In my opinion, street racing is a serious issue in Malaysia. Street racing is declared as illegal by the Malaysian police. Many places in Malaysia such as Selangor, Pulau Pinang and Johor Baru have been turned to racing sites for the participants. Most of the participants are teenagers who drive modified cars or ride motorcycles. Motorcycle racers are known to the public as 'Mat Rempit' in the Malay language. They are infamous for their stunts during their races such as Superman, Cilok, etc. In addition to doing their stunts and racing around, they have a habit of causing public disorder. They usually travel in large groups and at times raid isolated petrol stations.

I have actually witnessed this 'Mat Rempit' in front of my eyes. My family was traveling back to our hometown when we encountered these offenders. They were weaving in out of cars while doing their 'Superman' stunts. My father kept a distance away from them as they were behaving wildly. We were surprised that even though it was daylight, they were performing their stunts despite being observed by motorists.

Justification of Offense Punishments

We think that shouting racist abuse should be punished heavily. We suggested $10000 and 4-5 years of jail because shouting racist abuse is a threat to national security. It can undermine the peace and cause havoc especially to multi-racial countries. For example, on 13th May 1969 in Malaysia, racial issues caused blood shed between the Chinese and the Malays. 196 people were killed because of the riots between the two races.

At the low end of our list, we think that only a fine should be imposed on offenders who urinate on walls because it is not as serious as those ranked above it. A fine of $1000 should be enough to deter people from committing the offense.

Ranking Types of Offense

This is the order in which my grouped (Jia Ann, Stephanie, Syafiq) ranked for the following types of offense:

1. Shouting racist abuse

2. Driving under influence of drugs

3. Drink driving

4. Solvent abuse

5. Breaking into a car

6. Being sold alcohol in a bar whilst under the age limit

7. Doing a paper round at the age of 11

8. Shoplifting

9. Urinating against the wall

- To us, all the above are crimes because they all break the law one way or another. I find it hard to rank the offense since they all affect people in negative ways. After we considered the consequences of all of the offense only we decided to rank it this way. Even underage working (doing a paper at the age of 11) is a crime to me because working underage would deprive children of education. This violates the rights of children. So people should not abuse children rights by starting child labour. But of course, this is not as serious as those we ranked above it. Shouting racist abuse is the most serious offense for us. Although it does not affect people physically like most of the other offenses, shouting racist abuse undermines the relationship between races and this can affect a country's stability, especially those who are multi-racial.

- After much consideration, I think that none of the offenses are victimless as they affect people one way or another. Obviously, solvent abuse, drink driving and driving under influence of drugs have victims because they can cause deaths. Shouting racist abuse can cause racial disharmony. Selling alcohol to underage people can lead to more crimes. Breaking into a car and shoplifting causes property loss to the victim. Urinating against the wall has a victim because the owner of the wall would be affected.

- 1. Shouting racist abuse- 4-5 years in jail + fine $10000

2. Driving under influence of drugs- 2-3 years in jail + fine $5000

3. Drink driving- 1 year in jail + fine $3000-5000

4. Solvent abuse- Six months in jail + fine $1000-2000

5. Breaking into a car- Six months in jail + fine $1000

6. Being sold alcohol in a bar whilst under the age limit- 3 months in jail + Fine
$1000

7. Doing a paper round at the age of 11- Fine $1000

8. Shoplifting- 2 months in jail + Fine $1000

9. Urinating against the wall- Fine $1000

- Heavier fines and longer jail terms should be imposed on repeat offenders. This would remind offenders to not commit the same offense again. It will act as a deterrent. Community service should also be included so that they can contribute to the society while serving time in prison.

My First Thoughts About Crime

Crime....What is it?
- an offense punishable by the law
- evil and malicious act, often causes harm to others
- property crime- normally planned in advance- e.g. burglary, theft, robbery, vandalism, white-collar crime
- violent crime- occur when emotions run high- e.g. assault, murder, rapes
- moral crime- conduct that is considered contrary to community standards of justice, honesty or good morals- e.g. fraud, blackmail, counterfeiting, bribery, incest, bullying
- can be very slippery; different countries/places have their own set of rules about what they regard as crime...so it is hard to determine what is crime..for example, in Nigeria, just being seen with cocaine is already a crime. But in Mexico, as of August 25, 2009,the Mexican legislature officially legalized small doses of cocaine for personal use. No action will be taken for those carrying up to half a gram of cocaine.

How does crime affect the individual and their surroundings?

Fear- It influences how people lead their lives. Because of the high publicity of crimes in the media, this further raises the fear of crime. For example, most mothers don't encourage their children to go out at night because of the fear of them being victims of crime. Those who are victims themselves, would be badly traumatized. They are normally scarred emotionally because of the bad experience they suffered as victims of crime.

Money from taxpayers to eradicate crime- New jails, prisons, programs for criminals and money for police protection all come from the pocket of taxpayers. This means that instead of that money being invested in prevention through higher wages or better education, taxpayers pay more to keep criminals safe and well fed.

Misconceptions (Stereotypes)- According to research, crime and poverty are proven to be related. This shows that people who suffer from poverty are more likely to be involved in crime. This has led to stereotypes in society, which creates a social barrier between people from different classes.

Increased awareness- People become more alert when a crime occurs in their area. They would pay attention to all the people they come in contact with. Their houses would be reinforced for crime prevention.

Stricter rules and regulations- When a crime occurs, the government would impose a heavier punishment or introduce a new set of rules. This is carried out to act as a deterrent to would-be criminals.

What causes people to commit crime?

Greed- Humans are always crazy about money. Some choose to use the shortcut to obtain it by committing crime.

Anger/Jealousy- When emotions run high, people tend to lose their judgement and act wildly. This often result in bad consequences, including crime.

Power- Power-crazy is not something we've never heard of. Sometimes, in order to achieve a higher position or status, people resort to crime such as bribery.

Poverty- It is proven that poverty leads to crime. When people are desperately poor, crime is their answer to obtain their needs.

Peer pressure- Sometimes, you are tempted into wrong-doing due to the influence from your peers- family, friends, etc.

Of course, there are more reasons as to why people commit crime. These are just the few that I could think of since they are my first thoughts about this topic.

Stay crime-free for a better future and happier life!!

Law and Criminality

To me, LAW is what makes the world go round. LAW is the basic foundation of civilization. LAW defines us. LAW affects us in every way we act. LAW shapes us into what we are today. LAW is like our backbone; it is an essential part of our lives.

According to the Dictionary, law is defined as 'the system of rules that a particular country or community recognizes as regulating the actions of its members and may enforce by the imposition of penalties'. In other words, law is a list of rules and regulations that maintains order and control in the world we live.

Why is law needed? Why can't we just run around naked in public? Why can't we just simply murder people and get away with it? Why must we work so hard when we can just steal things?......Wait a minute.....Think about it guys....Is that what you really want? If the law doesn't prohibit these things, then the world would be more dangerous than it is right now. People can simply take your life and escape scot-free if there is no law to deter them. There is no such things as fairness and justice without law. Even though law exists nowadays, crime rates are still very high in most places in the world. So imagine if there's no law....I believe the crime rate would be double, triple, quadruple its number. Now let me repeat my question...Is that what you really want? I would most certainly NOT!

Many people detest the law because they think that it prevents them from doing lots of things. But don't you think the law is actually common sense that we humans should already know? The reason law exists is because we humans have to be reminded what we can and can't do. If humans can behave well, then there is no need for such rules and regulation. But do you think humans can resist being tempted into wrong-doing? If a 'No-Rules Day' exists, would we be able to stay in a controlled condition without breaking any rules? I would unequivocally say 'NO' because definitely some quarters of people would use this opportunity to misbehave. So laws are NECESSARY!!

However, the law can be very slippery. It is hard to determine what kind of punishment should be imposed on law-breakers so that they would not repeat their mistakes. For example, if a person does not obey the traffic light, he would be fined maybe $500. But does that mean that he would not repeat his offense? And people also argue about the issue of death penalty. How do we determine whether a law-breaker deserves a death penalty or not? Why can't we give him another chance rather than hanging him straight? Who has the power to take a person's life?

Sometimes, law can very foolish because it limits our freedom. Everyone has freedom of expression- we can wear whatever we want as long as it is not too inappropriate. But in Australia, it is illegal to wear hot pink pants after midday Sunday. I don't see why it is banned because it is just pink trousers. How is it illegal? I don't understand. In Singapore, the sale of gum is illegal. Bungee jumping is also illegal. You see what I mean? So I have to admit that the law can be very irritating despite the fact that it helps in controlling our society.

Here is some quotes about the law

This quote is actually jeering at people with high rank. Sometimes, the law is unfair and influential people can get away with it.

It means that laws that are unjust can be very destructive in a society. It can lead to violence. Thus, laws must be made fair and square in order avoid discrimination, dissatisfaction, etc.

The law can be very foolish and irritating.

Without any law, chaos will ensue.

Like one of the previous quotes, this means that high-ranking influential people sometimes can break the law and escape scot-free.