Malaysia reforms can end gun crime wave

A wave of gun crime sweeping Malaysia is a shock to the country and outsiders. The nation has a reputation for being laidback and safe, but high-profile murders in broad daylight in recent months have revealed a little-noticed violent underside. Authorities blame the repealing of a detention-without-trial law that led to the release of hundreds of gang members. But legislation is not the problem; stopping weapons from crossing porous borders and determined policing is the key to keeping streets peaceful and orderly.

An estimated 500,000 illegal immigrants is a tell-tale sign of the laxness of border controls. Guns and drugs have long been smuggled from the lawless south in Thailand. But although the illegals are accused of petty crimes in Kuala Lumpur and the state of Johor, the upsurge of violence bears the hallmarks of hardened criminals. The near-daily shootings have understandably sown fear and prompted calls for a crackdown.

Especially alarming was the killing of Hussain Ahmad Najadi, the founder of the Arab-Malaysian Development Bank, on a busy Kuala Lumpur street on July 29. His brazen murder, thought to be linked to the demolition of a Chinese temple, sparked fear and confusion. Gun laws are already tough - firing live ammunition can bring the death penalty and possession of a bullet life in prison - but there are nonetheless widespread calls for a return of the colonial-era Emergency Ordinance, repealed by Prime Minister Najib Razak in 2011. Proponents of this have been given heart by Najib's pledge that police will be given whatever is necessary to fight crime.

The violence could harm tourism and investment, vital for economic growth. Cracking down on crime, especially the activities of gangs, has to be paramount. But reinstating laws that are open to abuse in the wrong hands is no solution. The Royal Malaysia Police is dogged by allegations of corruption, incompetence and political bias. Reform so that manpower can be refocused on making fighting crime a priority would be a good starting point to ending the crime wave.