By Aida Aziz
IPOH: Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun (HRPB), meant for people to seek treatment, visit patients, and attend to other matters, has allegedly become a hotspot for motorcycle theft on and around its premises.
Visitors to the hospital are not the only ones affected, with nurses there also allegedly falling victim to motorcycle theft involving vehicles parked on hospital grounds.
Ipoh residents have claimed that motorcycles are not the only targets, with helmets, car rims and batteries also frequently being stolen from parking areas inside and outside the hospital.
A complainant, identified as Syamimi Azaha, has urged the authorities and the Ipoh Barat MP to take the issue seriously and improve security around HRPB.
“I would like to seek the attention and action of the elected representative regarding security and motorcycle theft issues occurring around Ipoh.
“On September 19, two motorcycle theft cases occurred within a single day, including a white Honda Wave 125X Ultimo with registration number AHJ 9755, which was believed to have been stolen from the HRPB parking area.
“The motorcycle owner was also a nurse who was on duty that day.
“This incident is very worrying for us as residents, particularly in terms of the safety of property and members of the public who park their vehicles in public areas.
“We hope the authorities will bring the issue of motorcycle theft to the attention of the police and relevant agencies.
“We urge the authorities to increase security patrols, particularly around the HRPB parking areas and other high-risk locations.
“They should also hold discussions with the police and hospital management to identify more effective preventive measures.
“The need to improve closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, lighting and security controls in the parking areas should also be reviewed,” she said.
She stressed that preventive measures should be implemented to prevent more people from becoming victims of theft.
“We hope this matter will be given serious attention and appropriate follow-up action for the safety and peace of mind of the Ipoh community,” she said.
Meanwhile, another theft victim, Muhd Loqman, said his motorcycle went missing from the motorcycle parking area while he was taking his younger sibling to HRPB for an emergency.
“I am appealing to the public for help if anyone has seen a red EX5 motorcycle with registration number ANF 1485.
“When I was about to leave, I realised that my motorcycle was missing from the parking area. I hope the people of Ipoh can help ease this ordeal,” he said.
Meanwhile, many netizens shared similar views about the frequent thefts allegedly occurring at the hospital.
“HRPB has been a theft hotspot for a long time — helmets, motorcycles and car rims. Not everyone who goes there is a patient. Some people go there just to carry out their ‘job’, with one person watching the owner while another does the job. Even car rims have gone missing. Before you know it, there are only bricks left under the car,” said one individual.
“If motorcycles keep going missing, there needs to be an investigation. There could be certain people working together with the thieves. CCTV should also be installed in every parking area. Don’t let the excuse be that the cameras are faulty, to the point where the thieves can no longer be caught,” said another Ipoh resident.
