Vandals strike days after MRT line was launched
IT has only been five days since the Sungai Buloh-Kajang MRT Line was launched and its ridership figures shown a healthy take-up rate for the line since its opening on July 17 and recorded a new high of 142,313 passengers, which is above what MRT Corp had expected, already there are signs of vandalism.
It was reported that there were scratches on the benches and walls, some just after two days of operation. The gouges on the benches in at least four underground stations at Muzium Negara, Pasar Seni, Merdeka and Bukit Bintang were not accidentally caused by bags or other items.
The toilets were damaged, with at least one faucet at an MRT station toilet found to have been damaged. Cigarette butts, a broomstick and a broken spotlight were discarded on the roof of a sheltered walkway of an exit at the Bukit Bintang station. Disgustingly even the wall displaying the Rukun Negara also sustained damages.
Surely and sadly the acts of vandalism have marred the image of the RM21 billion (S$6.7 billion) public transport project linking downtown Kuala Lumpur to housing estates on the northwest and south-eastern periphery of the Malaysian capital.
Common acts of vandalism include graffiti, breaking windows, dumping trash from receptacles and removing statues or signage. Apart from the monetary loss that can result, vandalism can be quite demoralizing.
Substantial resources and energy have been directed and understanding this problem and formulating preventive schemes.
And though it is impossible to prevent it, there are measures that schools, parishes, and service organizations can implement to help prevent acts of vandalism. Prevention must start with understanding where and when vandals normally strike.
What do we know about vandalism? Vandalism is the intentional defacement or destruction of property. It is a persistent problem.
There is no model and single definition and its direct costs amount to millions of dollars every year and its broader effects range from discomfort and inconvenience, to fear and real danger to the public.
It is the attack or damage of property of any kind including virtual space with no other purpose than destruction or disruption of the said property or virtual space. Vandalism is caused by people who think it is funny to damage people’s property. Actions of this kind can be ascribed to anger or envy, or to spontaneous, opportunistic behavior? possibly for peer acceptance or bravado in gang cultures, or disgruntlement with the target (victim) person or society.
Reasons for vandalism also include boredom, anger, racial and ethnic tensions, socioeconomic disparity and personal issues.
Vandalism occurs in suburban and urban areas, and is committed by males and females. Vandalism is most common among teenagers, with the highest rates reported among high school students between the ages of 13 and 14.
Graffiti vandalism is a little different, in that they consider themselves “artists” who strive to be respected by other grafffiti “artists”. Cutting through fences, slipping past security to claim walls to tag is a big part of the thrill.
Criminological research into vandalism has found that it serves many purposes for those who engage in it and stems from a variety of motives.
Stanley Cohen, a prominent sociologist describes several types of vandalism:
1. Acquisitive vandalism (looting and petty theft).
2. Peer pressure - Teenagers spend more time away from home with peers whether they act constructively or destructively can depend on the contacts they make. Disobeying authority can appear cool.
3. Tactical vandalism (to advance some end other than acquiring money or property ¡V such as breaking a window to be arrested and get a bed for the night in a police cell).
4. Ideological vandalism (carried out to further an explicit ideological cause or deliver a message).
5. Vindictive vandalism (for revenge).
6. Play vandalism (damage resulting from children’s games).
7. Malicious vandalism (damage caused by a violent outpouring of diffuse frustration and rage that often occurs in public settings).
In view of its deliberate discourtesy, punishment for vandalism has to be strict and can be particularly severe in some countries. Former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani made a crackdown on vandalism a centerpiece of his anti-crime agenda in the 1990s, asserting that a strong campaign against nonviolent “quality of life” crimes such as vandalism would bring about a corresponding decrease in violent crime.
According to FBI statistics, New York’s crime rate plummeted during his tenure.
In Singapore, a person who attempts to cause or commits an act of vandalism may be liable to imprisonment for up to 3 years and may also be punished with caning. Vandalism in the UK is construed as an environmental crime and may be punished with an ASBO (Anti-Social Behaviour Order).
In Malaysia, we must act before the behaviour becomes cancerous. The MRT is a first class facility but if Malaysians did not have a “first class mentality”, the law must compel the recalcitrant.