A year after the disaster...

A year had past since the megascale-earthquake struck the Chinese province of Sichuan, with the county of Wenchuan as the epicentre of the quake. The quake, measured a whooping 8 on the Richter scale, devastated the province with little effort, bringing down the already poorly constructed buildings into nothing more than rubbles if not dust. The result of the quake and the numerous shock waves that followed, saw tenths of thousands of people killed and another few tenths of thousands went missing, not to forget the millions of Sichuanese who were left homeless.

It is a fact that the Wenchuan Earthquake, which took place in May 2008, shook Sichuan. But it is also a fact that the quake had shaken the hearts of people from all over the country as well as the globe, resulting in the pouring in of aids from almost every part in the world. The incident had been the focus and the issue of concern across the world. I could still remember vividly seeing images and footages of the quake depicting the aftermath a year ago and I was emotionally overwhelmed… It is just unbearable to see the loss and the sufferings of the surviving victims, and the rising number of dead bodies that were recovered from the debris.

To the rest of us in the world, the disaster may seem just yesterday and the year had passed by in barely just a wink. To those unfortunate souls who were caught up in the middle of the quake, however, the year was undoubtedly a difficult period for them and I am certain that each and every day went by excruciatingly slow as every moment in life may possibly be a challenge for them. Till today, many of the Sichuanese who survived are still picking up pieces of their lives, and working ever so hard to rebuild their shattered homeland and lives.

I’m just glad and contented that I do not have to encounter with such hardships in life and I’ll pray for those who had survived the disaster that they would be blessed with the strongest of will to carry on.

Snatch thefts gone wrong- what can we do?

Within only days apart, 4 lives had been mercilessly taken away in separate incidents which had rooted in an issue that has been haunting the streets of Malaysia for years- snatch theft. In less than just 2 days, local newspapers had reported 2 cases of snatch theft which had claimed the lives of 4 innocent individuals. Though the cases took place in different parts of the peninsular, the cases had striking, and somewhat eerie similarities. Both the victims were expecting mothers-to-be and both of them were alone on their motorcycles when the snatch thieves attacked, killing both the mothers along with their stillbirth child in the process.

Had snatch thieves became so ruthless till a point of targeting defenseless ladies who are pregnant? (eventhough I fully understood that thieves are bound by no code or rules) Or had the global financial crisis led to the existence of this ‘newer breed’ of desperados who couldn’t care less if they got anyone killed along the way? Either way, these men are capable of snatching more than belongings and valuables, items that are replaceable- they snatch lives, regardless of whether it is their intention or not, direct or indirectly.

Snatch theft had been here for years and despite of the actions taken, they do not seemed to put an end to the cases of snatch thefts. The recent incidences should have at least bring the authority to a realisation that whatever that have been done to deter snatch thefts may not be adequate or effective after all. Strategies may have to be reassessed and newer actions to be deployed in order to stop snatch thefts for good.

I do hoped that the recent incidences would have also reminded the public not to rely entirely on the enforcement and the law to clear the streets off snatch thieves, while themselves are being oblivious and unconcerned by the issue. We should play a role too.

Snatch thieves had the element of surprise on their side and it is this factor that put us, members of the public at a major disadvantage against snatch thieves. Whenever snatch thefts happen, the victims are always the reactive party- reactive to the assaults plotted by the snatch thieves. Therefore, the most effective and logical way to stop snatch thefts would be to remove ourselves out of the equation and out of that reactive role, putting ourselves in control rather than under control by excluding ourselves as potential targets. Just like any food chain in the nature, the hunters wouldn’t have survived if there is nothing to prey on and feed on. Therefore, it is always best to avoid carrying bags with any form of straps (except for backpacks) and avoid revealing any jewelry or valuable accessories while on the streets to reduce the chances of being targeted by stalking snatch thieves.

Never underestimate the power of public awareness as I firmly believed that we (the general public) will be the ones that are going to make all the difference in the 'war' against snatch thefts . Together let's put the ghost of snatch theft to rest once and for all.