Fight to Vandals

We need to take the fight to vandals

VANDALISM is posing a major threat to our social fabric and well-being of the people.

Hardly a week passes without reports in the media about some form of vandalism being committed on public telephones, street lighting, public parks, or housing flats.

In many local authority areas, even manhole covers and aluminium signages are not spared.

This wanton destruction of public property is a stark reminder to the authorities that more effective action must be taken to tackle vandalism in our midst.

Local authorities have to spend millions of ringgit annually to repair public amenities and property that had been vandalised.

Acts of vandalism abound in every nook and corner of the country. Public phones, garbage bins, lifts, parking meters, bus shelters, public signboards and public toilets are targets.

Though vandalism in Malaysia is not as severe as in many countries in the West, the quantum of damage renders it a serious problem that must be tackled effectively.

According to psychiatrists, there are several categories of vandals, which include teenagers who are influenced by negative peer pressure, graffiti crawlers who leave messages in public and private property, frustrated groups who vandalise to vent their anger, drug addicts who vandalise to remove items for sale, and habitual offenders.

It is recognised that vandalism must be tackled via education, inculcation of good values, social responsibility, and civic consciousness.

However, education alone is not sufficient; it must be backed up by stringent legislation and strong enforcement.

Vandalism