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Penang should be the model state in Malaysia to stamp out the rising  crime wave in the country with a  world-class police service to reduce the double rise of  crime and the fear of crime to make the state safe for its citizens, tourists and industries Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang (Penang,  Wednesday): In keeping with the state motto “Penang Leads”, Penang should be the model state in Malaysia to stamp out the rising crime wave in the country with a world-class police service to reduce the double rise of crime and the fear of crime to restore to the people their fundamental right to a crime-free, safe and secure environment to live, work and play and to make the state safe for its citizens, tourists and industries. There are several areas for joint co-operative action by the police, political parties, NGOs, community organizations and the civil society to restore public confidence in the professionalism, efficiency and effectiveness of the police service  to reduce crime, the fear of crime and reassure the people about the safety of the  streets, public spaces and homes.  Firstly, the restoration  of   political leadership and responsibility for the delivery of a professional, efficient and effective  world-class police service.  Parliament and the Penang State Assembly should make up for their failures in the past to give top  priority to the important subject of law and order to ensure the safety of citizens, tourists and industries as well as  the fundamental  right to live and work in a safe environment without fear of crime by having annual debates on the issue.  A national and state policing  agenda for the reduction of crime and the fear of crime is not just a police responsibility but also a political and community  responsibility which should be the constant  top priority of the Federal and state governments, Parliament and Penang State Assembly. Secondly ,  formulation and publicity of an annual Penang State  Policing Plan, complemented by a  local policing plan in every police district, setting out the priorities of policing, how they are to be delivered and the  indicators by which performance could  be measured by political leaders, civil society and the media.  The performance indicators should be simple measures for each of the key policing activities such as reducing crime, how safe the public feel wherever they live, how effective the police  force is in dealing with crime or how efficient the force is. Thirdly, establishing a Penang Policing Forum to provide a formal structure to involve the various communities and the civil society, including political parties, NGOs and professional groups, to consider the key elements of the annual state and local policing plans and to  monitor their performances.   The Penang Policing Forum should be the vehicle for public input and interactions with the police as to how to achieve  a modern, professional, competent and responsive police force which could deliver quality world-class police service to reduce crime, the fear of crime and reassure the people about the safety of streets, public spaces and the homes, dealing with subjects such as: how to increase  police visibility and accessibility bearing in mind that uniformed officers, working on the streets, maintaining the peace 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, are the core of policing; how to ensure quality police manpower, such as the  establishment of a National Centre for Policing Excellence to raise  effectiveness  in  crime prevention, detection and conviction; improvement in the pay and working conditions of the police to attract quality recruitment; better deployment of police forces to fight crime, raising the proportion not only of non-Malays but also women in the police force. Ten years ago in 1993, I had called for a new salary sale for the 80,000 policemen which was 20 per cent higher than other civil servants as in the case of some countries like Japan and Britain because the job involved stress and risks; a proposal which the government should give serious consideration; more effective use of science, technology and information technology to transform policing to meet the challenges of the 21st century.  The frank and cordial meeting between the Penang State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Othman Talib and DAP leaders and MPs at Penang Police Headquarters on Monday where the  state police chief acknowledged the need for police-public co-operation to provide a safe and secure environment for Malaysians to live, work and play  and his ready agreement to attend the next Penang DAP forum to reduce crime and the fear of crime are a good start  for Penang to become the model state in the country to stamp out the rising crime wave in the country and show the way for police-public co-operation. (13/8/2003) * Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman