THE Sarawak state government’s continued commitment to maintain a low crime rate can be supported by more initiatives to counter economic crimes like contraband cigarettes to achieve greater prosperity and economic growth, said the former state police chief of Sarawak Datuk Dr Yusoff Nook.
Yusoff’s statement came ahead of the upcoming 12th Sarawak state election that will take place on Dec 18.
“The crime rate in Sarawak is well below the national average, and this is a reflection of the State Government’s efforts to work closely with law enforcement agencies to safeguard lives and property within the State. This good working relationship must be maintained and even emulated by other states,” he added.
According to Yusoff, reports have indicated that the Sarawak crime index in 2020 had decreased to 5,874 compared to 6,024 cases in 2019.
“Moving forward, the State Government and the relevant law enforcement agencies must look into addressing economic crimes to stop any unnecessary leakages to the State economy and protect businesses from suffering losses to criminal interference,” Yusoff remarked, highlighting that commercial crime cases in Sarawak increased to 1,462 cases in 2020 compared to 1,340 in 2019.
He went on to stress that economic crime is not a victimless crime. As a case in point, Sarawak has one of the highest rates of contraband cigarettes in the country.
Nine out of 10 cigarettes sold in the state are illegal and untaxed cigarettes that do not adhere to any regulation, Yusoff added.
“This uncontrolled economic crime not only cause billions of ringgit in lost revenue, but it also enriches law-breakers, encourages corruption and facilitates criminal infiltration in political and law enforcement institutions.
“Economic crimes may increase exponentially in the near future facilitated by the higher price of goods and impacted incomes resulting from the COVID19 pandemic.
“So naturally, people will turn to cheaper alternatives regardless of quality, safety or legality. This must be stopped quickly and effectively by State policymakers across political lines,” he concluded. – Dec 15, 2021
