Snatch theft is becoming a serious issue nowadays. During the months of June and July 2004, the local media, especially the press, have been replete with reports of crime and violence in Malaysia. There have been many reports of snatch thefts which has given a great impact to the society. Police statistics on these crimes indicate that they are on the rise. Therefore, there is a sense of anxiety, even panic and fear in the air.
The seriousness of this crime can be proven when on January 29th, 2005, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi himself has addressed throughout the country his curious concern on the rise of the crime and the need to implement more severe punishments.
There are lots of articles in the newspapers and on the internet to show the seriousness of the offence of snatch theft. On January 30th 2005, our nation's leading newspapers, namely Berita Minggu and The Star had reported snatch theft crimes, which had happened near Ipoh, Perak. The suspect had snatched the bag from a sixty year old woman at a shopping mall at Jalan Kampar, as the woman was walking to her car. The twenty year old thief, who had tried to escape in his car, also knocked down a man, who suffered minor injuries. The suspect ran through the traffic lights and collided with two cars. This has caused him to lose control of his vehicle, which then hit the road sign. The suspect then was detained.
The second example of this snatch theft crime happened on January 9th 2005. Berita Minggu had reported another snatch theft incident, where two female students were injured after their motorcycle crashed into a concrete drain while escaping from a snatch criminal. The suspect had followed the girls with a motorcycle on their way after attending tuition class.
In another case, on June 10th 2004, Ros Saliza Burhan, a factory worker on her way waiting for the bus was followed by two men on a motorcycle. Failed to snatch the victim’s bag, the criminal had