Flaws in having ‘female only’ car parks

WITH growing concern over safety in shopping mall car parks, many of the operators have decided to demarcate a “Female Only” zone that is supposedly for female drivers.

They also have more security guards stationed permanently in the area but as a security auditor, I would like to point out the flaws in such a system.

Firstly, this facility is rampantly abused. I have observed countless times where a couple or family driving into the car park will first let out all the passengers at the mall entrance and the female driver will pretend to be the lone sympathetic shopper who requires the “safest” spot for parking.

The mall management will not have the time and resources to vet all drivers for the usage of this facility.

Shopping malls with cinemas are often targeted by criminals for their potential victims, especially late night movie goers.

In those late hours, the shopping mall itself will be closed with limited exits which are normally through back alleys and poorly lighted routes.

Having a dedicated “female only” parking area is akin to inviting the potential criminals to the most vulnerable destination to execute their illmannered intensions.

“Female Only” coaches in trains and buses do serve the purpose as it deals with different types of social crimes.

Women do not get mugged or kidnapped in these public transport vehicles (well, at least not in Malaysia). The concerns are more on pickpocketing and sexual harassment.

But male patrons are not spared nowadays in malls either. They can become victims too.

It is then only proper for the management of the shopping malls to have a conducive and secure shopping environment in the entire mall area. These are my suggestions:

> All areas of the mall parking and emergency alleys must be properly lighted;

> Increase the number of security guards. Malls tend to cut costs by providing a bicycle or motorcycle and making one security guard to patrol two or more floors. This is highly inefficient;

> Have large and infra-red CCTV cameras at all entrance and exit points especially at the exit boom gate which capture the image of the driver; and

> Separate motorcycle and car parking bays and enforce strict rules disallowing motorcyclists from entering car parks. I see some malls are flexible in allowing despatch riders to park at car parks for a quick drop off of parcels but this could lead to security being compromised.

I hope malls will stick to having designated car parks only for the disabled and pregnant women and provide a safer shopping environment for everyone else.

Security divisions in shopping malls are often regarded as a back-end department and budget is least allocated for their upgrades. I hope mall managements are sincere in ensuring the safety of all shoppers and not just do cosmetic changes like painting the pillars pink for female drivers. D1 Kuala Lumpur