Watch out! Your things can be snatched!

“Ammoi, don’t wear your necklace, here. Wear it when you reach the hall. You too, Bathma, don’t wear that gold chain, now,” the grandmother was giving instructions to her grandchild and daughter-in-law. “And keep all your things in one bag and give to appa,” she added, “let him carry it.”

“Aw, come on ma, don’t let me carry a woman’s bag,” grumbled dad, but he carried it, anyway.

This has been the norm now, whenever the family wanted to go to some occasions or festivals. Today, they are going to their friend’s wedding ceremony, being held in the town hall.

I am sure banters of similar kind occur in many houses in Malaysia, what with the rampant cases of bag and chain snatchings being carried on, by the scoundrels of Malaysia, simply termed as ‘snatch-thieves'.

Gone are the days when ladies can, bravely, venture out of their houses, holding bags or wearing their normal gold jewelry. They can no longer show off their stylish bags, or proudly display their eye catching valuables. No, this is not an exaggeration. My own family had the nasty experience of two such cases. My wife had her gold chain snatched from her, right in front of the neighbour’s house (we are staying in terrace house), while she was walking back from the shop nearby. Not that she was exhibiting it. It was just a small chain, to sling around her neck to accompany her thali (the sacred string that all Hindu women have after marriage, around their necks). She had screamed but no one was in sight at that inopportune time. The culprits were two helmet-wearing youngsters on a motorbike. About two months later, my unfortunate elderly mother had her shopping bag snatched in front of a shop in town (Taiping), by another rascal on a motorbike. It just had about eight ringgit and some betel leaves for chewing.

Of course, police reports had been made duly, and assurance of frequent patrols had been received. But the snatch-thefts still do occur. Looks like the thieves are always one step ahead of the police.

It is certain that looking at the frequent, if not daily, reports of snatch-thefts, almost all the Malaysian readers of this post, would surely, at one time or another, had themselves or someone in their family or friends been affected by such snatch-thefts.

I wonder whether such bag and chain snatching goes on in other parts of the world. I hope not. Or is it just wishful thinking?