Taman Molek: A haven for snatch thieves

At round about 7.40pm on October 12, an attempt to snatch a handbag from a woman in Jalan Molek 2, Taman Molek, here, was foiled when the victim’s handbag strap snapped during a short tussle with the snatch thief.

Lim Siew Li, 52, the victim, was dining with three other members of her family in a restaurant which incidentally is located just below the Citizen Journalists Malaysia (CJMY) office.

She said, her family was seated at a table along the restaurant shop front with her back facing the main road.

A man was seen dropping off from a motorcycle just meters away from the restaurant at the roadside who then rushes in to snatch away Lim’s handbag.

A short tussle broke out between Lim and the snatch thief which resulted in Lim’s handbag strap snapped.

The snatch thief then quickly ran off to his accomplice waiting on the motorcycle which speed off immediately after seeing many diners in the restaurant came to Lim assistance.

Several days ago, on October 8, 2012 at about 7 pm, a woman was a victim of snatch theft in the same restaurant where she lost her handbag.

Co-incidentally, the incident happened right under the nose of Johor Jaya state assemblyman, Tan Cher Puk, who was having an informal discussion with some Taman Molek residents at the neighbouring coffee shop.

Tan later walked over to the restaurant to speak to the victim and had advised the victim to lodge a police report.

Meanwhile, Thomas Wang, 50, a neighbouring coffee shop owner told CJMY that, last month, a female customer’s handbag was snatched while having lunch at his coffee shop.

He lamented and said, in just a short span of five days, he has heard of three snatch theft cases.

There are probably there are other such cases which went unreported, added Thomas.

He commented that snatch theft cases has been on the increase lately in Taman Molek and urged the police to conduct more regular crime prevention rounds in Taman Molek to ensure the residents and visitors that Taman Molek is a safe place to stay, work and visit.

CJMY met another crime victim, Ng Xiu Qi, 19, who related her scary encounter with two robbers that happened in Jalan Molek 2/9 on October 11 at about 8.10pm.

She said, she and her male friend was walking back to their house in Jalan Molek 2/7 and was waylaid by two men on a motorcycle.

Ng said, the motorcycle stopped right behind them and the pillion rider got off the motorcycle and confronted them with an arm length knife.

Adding, she said, my friend then pleaded with the robber not to harm us and he threw my handbag onto the roadside which the armed robber picked up and got off with the waiting accomplice on the motorcycle.

Ng said, she has made a police report at the Johor Jaya police station after the incident.