Veron: Gangsta Paradise

Today I was awaken by a sad news. My sister-in-law got robbed at Danau Kota at 4am this morning. She was with a few friends at one of the mamak stall and was approached by a few guys with their motorbike. She was hit on her head with a helmet and they took her valuables. One of her guy friend saw the incident and would like to help out but those people took out their parangs which left her friend helpless. Traumatised, she went to a few police stations to report the incident. My mother-in-law then accompanied her to the hospital to get a x-ray scan for her head. Luckily, nothing serious happened to her.

From this incident, it makes me think. I used to stay around this area (Wangsa Maju, Setapak) for about 20 over years. Yes, I am a city girl staying in the suburbs. I have seen the place developed from a jungle to a concrete jungle now and it has certainly pumped up the population in this area. There are a lot of low cost flats around this area. This place is never short of facilities like schools, transportation (bus, LRT), college, shopping malls, markets, etc. I must say its a nice place to stay with all the facilities. Furthermore, it is very near to the town. Now, the place started to get very congested with all the condos and shop lots mushrooming everywhere which left the greeneries nowhere to be seen. I must say that the place where I used to grow up has turned to become a gangsta paradise. Why? The incidents below are listed in chronological order (as far as I can remember... o.O)

• Mid-1990s: My father-in-law's 2 Perdanas (1 I think is his and subsequently he rent another) got stolen in front of his house in Section 5.
• 1997-1998: My parents' Wira got broken into while parking at the upper parking lot in Alpha Angle. Nothing valuable has been lost.
• 1998: My classmate, Michelle was a victim of snatch thief which took place in Wangsa Melawati. She was walking alone at the roadside in the morning to catch a bus. A motorbike with 2 guys grabed her handbag from behind. She held on to the handbag and they dragged her about 5 to 10 metres. The handbag stripe eventually snapped and they went away leaving Michelle helpless.
• 2001: I become a victim. After class, got down from the bus near Carrefour. Met with my classmate (guy, which is quite big size). He accompanied me to Hubby's house (then boyfriend la). We were walking on the opposite of the road in the housing area. I was always very observant when I was alone. But things happened when you least expected. I heard a motorbike approching from behind. Usually I will turned my head and look. This time, little did I know, one of the guys on the motobike came from my behind, pulled my back pack from my right and I fell on my back on the ground. Things happened so fast that I did not know what had happened until my classmate shouted, "OI!!" at them and only I realised that I was looking at the sky, clueless. Fortunate enough, I didn't hurt my back and head, just scratches on my left elbow (yes, it left some scars) and I was in total shock.
• 4-5 years after that: Someone got stabbed near TARC for robbery also.
• 2006/2007: Michelle (my brother-in-law's wife)'s car got broken in, in Section 5 and her digital camera got stolen.
• Somewhere in 2006: Dave, my schoolmate, his car got broken in and the fellow took his working bag, thinking there was a laptop in it. His car was parked near NZ Curry House.
• Mid this year (2008): My grandma-in-law's house in Section 5 got broken in and the fellow took my brother-in-law's a few months old Mac.

There was a pondok polis in Section 5 (they occupied a housing lot) and it is always been locked. I think the MP needs to do something about this. Meanwhile, Hell is breaking loose... o.O