Kuching: A recent theft at Arang Road, Lane 13H4, has sparked renewed calls for the Sarawak government to tackle the root causes of crime with a warning that economic inequality is fueling insecurity.
DAP Arang Branch Chairman and DAPSY Stampin Chief, Soo Tien Ren, said the incident underscores the urgent need for reforms that go beyond policing.
“If the government is serious about restoring safety and stability, it must confront the root causes: narrow the income gap, ensure fair distribution of wealth, and guarantee that the fruits of economic development reach the majority of people, not just the privileged few,” Soo said in a statement.
He warned that without meaningful change, Sarawak will continue to grapple with worsening security problems and deepening class tensions.
Soo said in the incident, the two motorcyclists brazenly entered a home in broad daylight, dismantled its window frames, and made off with them.
He said, the incident is not merely an isolated crime, but a stark reflection of the worsening state of security in Kuching and the deepening social contradictions in Sarawak.
“Such incidents highlight more than just the weaknesses in law enforcement; they reveal the growing fractures in society. If honest and lawful work could provide people with a secure and decent livelihood, who would willingly risk breaking the law?
“Yet the reality remains: people are forced to undertake dangerous ‘businesses with the risk of the noose,’ because ‘unprofitable trades attract no one.’ When crime becomes a desperate choice in the light of day, it signals that something is deeply wrong with our social and economic system,” he said.
While the state government has often highlighted large-scale infrastructure projects and investment inflows as indicators of economic progress, Soo argued that these achievements have yet to translate into real benefits for most Sarawakians.
“For the majority of Sarawakians, especially the middle and lower classes, these so-called achievements have failed to translate into better wages, reduced living costs, or improved quality of life. The result is widening economic stratification and an increasingly divided society.
“The rise in crime and the decline in public safety are not merely products of weak enforcement. They are the inevitable outcome of economic inequality,” he said.
He added that when ordinary citizens cannot obtain fair rewards through lawful work, some will inevitably be driven to crime.
“This not only threatens the safety of the community but also erodes the very foundations of society,” Soo said.
