Kuala Lumpur, 2 March 2023 – Southeast Asia’s largest integrated car e-commerce platform, CARSOME, announced its collaboration with the Petaling Jaya District Police to broaden public awareness on the prevalence of car theft. The collaboration comes off the back of the growing rate of vehicle theft cases across the nation, that has reached alarming levels.

According to a report by the Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia Berhad (VTREC) in 2020, a vehicle is stolen every 75 minutes in Malaysia, amounting to an average of 20 cars stolen each day. In fact, vehicle theft risk in Malaysia is one of the highest in the world and it is one of the few countries that has shown a steady rise in vehicle theft since 2001. 

The collaboration between CARSOME and the Petaling Jaya District Police was kickstarted through the identification of vehicle theft hotspots. CARSOME will install public service announcement signboards at these hotspots to serve as a reminder to residents and passers-by to be more cautious about their cars and surroundings. At the same time, CARSOME will support the police with the amplification of crime awareness and prevention messages through its online channels, such as CARSOME's website.

CARSOME Co-Founder and CARSOME Academy CEO, Jiun Ee Teoh said “The installation of these  signboards around Petaling Jaya is part of CARSOME’s support for the Petaling Jaya District Police vehicle theft prevention efforts. Our motivation is to support the police in creating a safe environment in Malaysia for all car owners, starting with Petaling Jaya where CARSOME was founded. We recognise that crime prevention and awareness is a shared community responsibility and it is our hope that these safety sign boards serve as a useful reminder in creating a better environment and more peace of mind for residents living in these hot spots,” he added. 

The community safety campaign was officiated by the Petaling Jaya District Police Chief, ACP Mohamad Fakhruddin Abdul Hamid and CARSOME Co-Founder and CARSOME Academy CEO, Jiun Ee Teoh where they lay to ground the first signboard at PPR Lembah Subang. 

Petaling Jaya District Police Chief, ACP Mohamad Fakhruddin Abdul Hamid said that reducing vehicle theft is a collective effort of all parties. Backed by enforcement from the police, the community within the district also plays a role in being vigilant of suspicious parties. He encouraged citizens to report these parties or any out-of-the norm behaviors immediately, and added that PPR Lembah Subang is one of the hotspots for vehicle theft and a good starting ground for the first signboard.

“We are grateful for the support from the private sector, such as CARSOME, who have been supportive in amplifying our efforts to reduce the prevalence of car theft in Malaysia. We look forward to working closely with CARSOME to roll out more safety campaigns in the coming future for a safer neighborhood in the Petaling Jaya district,” concluded ACP Mohamad Fakhruddin.

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