Snatch-theft

Snatch-theft victim, 17, dies from injuries

2009/09/26

Ahmad Fairuz Othman

(Taken from NST Online)

JOHOR BARU: Tan Shu Fang had her whole life ahead of her, but it came to an abrupt end after she succumbed to injuries due to a snatch theft.

The 17-year-old student from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Mutiara Rini 2 in Skudai breathed her last at 5pm on Friday.

The younger of two siblings never recovered from her coma after sustaining severe head injuries during the snatch theft nine days earlier.

The Sept 17 incident at Jalan Pendekar 1 in Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Skudai, occured when Tan was riding pillion with her mother Leong Ah Kui, 53, on motorcycle.

Housewife Leong Ah Kui, 53, (right) with her late daughter, snatch theft victim Tan Shu Fang, in an undated picture.

They were heading to a nearby Public Bank to withdraw money to pay for Tan's tuition class fees. Two men on motorcycle approached the mother and daughter, and one of them snatched Tan's handbag.

Both mother and daughter fell off their motorcycle while the culprits fled the scene.

Leong, who related the incident during a Press conference at the Skudai State Assemblyman Dr Boo Cheng Hau's service centre yesterday, said her daughter suffered a fit and began foaming in the mouth after falling backwards off the motorcycle.

She said passers-by helped to bring Tan to a nearby government polyclinic.

Tan, who was already unconscious at that time, was later transfered to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital's intensive care unit.

Prior to her death, Tan underwent two surgeries to treat blood clots in her brain.

"My hopes for her future are dashed now that she's gone. She was a bright stduent who wanted to further her studies at the tertiary level. Her life was cut short because of those criminals," said Leong, who could not contain her emotions during the Press conference.

Meanwhile, State police chief Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said the police were tracing the two snatch thieves and would bring them to book.

"We are doing our very best to hunt them down," said Mokhtar. He urged those with information on the incident to contact the Johor police at 07-221 2999 or the nearest police station.

Snatch thief is a very serious problem in Malaysia. Has our GOV gone full force to combat this? If they can send multiple units of FRU and Police to Perak GOV and to Spray water cannon at Public demonstrator, why can't they put more effort in preventing snatch thief? We need Police to set up traps in area prone to sntach thieve. Normally the thief is drug addicts, how is our GOV doing in combating Drugs in Malaysia? We have multiple International Drug syndicate in our country, why are these people can walk like a free man here?

The last question is, does the girl wear a helmet? If yes, it is almost impossible to have a head injury serious enough to cause celerbral damage to the back brain. So to all Bikers, Please wear your helmet and secure it to your head properly.

Now another life is lost due to this stupid problem in public security.