| By Rosli Abidin
Yahya
The crime rate here may not be
as high as in other cities in the region such as Manila, Jakarta
and Kuala Lumpur but a recent incidence of an alleged crime
committed is definitely a cause of major concern for the
peace-loving population.
A young, pretty Filipina
related her harrowing experience of being a victim to a robbery
crime but she decided not lodge a police report because she
thought it would do her more harm than good.
She said she had just returned
home from work one evening and as she was resting, a man broke
one glass window to forcefully enter her accommodation.
“The man had a knife and
asked for my jewellery. I was so frightened that I gave him all
– worth about $8,000 – as long as he would not hurt me.
“He then tied my hands and my
feet with masking tape. He also plastered my mouth before
leaving,” she said adding that even though the man spoke
Malay, many Filipinos also spoke the language fluently. Thus she
could not identify the race.
She managed to free herself
after a struggle. However, she did not lodge a police report for
fear it could endanger her life.
“The robber must have watched
me and knew that I kept a substantial amount of jewellery.
“I remember seeing the robber
somewhere but I decided against making a police report as it
could endanger me. It could also be a planned robbery,” she
said.
The Filipina has now moved away
from her old accommodation but still she would not lodge a
police report.
She also dyed her hair to a
different colour in the hope that the robber would not recognise
her anymore.
“It was a devastating and
awful experience for me and reflections of the tragedy kept on
flashing (in my head) which made me shiver. But this country is
still very peaceful compared to other big cities,” she said.
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