What can we learned from this?

The event above happened during last Ramadhan (last month). A group of  eight “Mat Rempits” (five in the shop and another three stood standby outside) stormed into a Mamak restaurant in Section 15 Shah Alam and grabbed laptops, money and the cash register from the shop. It happened at 4.00am, while the patrons are having their “sahur“.

This is a very rare event, and hardly heard of. But now, the “grab and run” style of robbery has become very common. The question is, what can we learn from this?

To avoid all these, we should:

• Never go out so late at night (early morning is definitely a no-no);
• Have your late supper (or “sahur” in Ramadhan) at home;
• Never, ever bring your laptops/tablets/smartphones out with you to the restaurants;
• Don’t surf the internet at open areas. Mamak’s restaurants are considered open areas as they lack the proper security and the venue is very open to public (Starbucks in the other hand is considered closed areas, as they have walls and proper doors. And most of Starbucks are located within the vicinity of shopping complexes);

But from the video and what had happened, it makes me wonder whether the Mamak’s restaurant (or any other Mamak’s) is safe for us or not. Please consider my arguments:

• Security camera – is it used to monitor the security of patrons or to monitor the customers who wouldn’t pay?
• Shop assistants – are they doing enough, other than run away earlier than the patrons?
• Opening hours – should the authorities limit the opening time of restaurants?
• Insurance – do the patrons received coverage against theft or other crimes INSIDE the restaurants?
• Responsibility – since the restaurant is offering its services to customers, should they be responsible to what ever happened IN the restaurant?

I think the proprietor of the restaurant is not doing his/her part of the bargain. The owner should be responsible to all his/her paying customers and to ensure their safety. Not to run away and left the customers alone in the restaurant, when the robbers came. It looks like that your main (and only) priority is to get money from your patrons, and nothing else. After you get your millions from us, is that the best you can do? Irresponsible!