Kuala Lumpur, 31 October 2022: The Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia (VTREC) jointly hosted a roundtable discussion with the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP). The roundtable event was the first regional discussion co-organized by VTREC-PDRM with the theme “1st REGIONAL ROUNDTABLE: Braving the Vehicle Theft: Repatriation of Stolen Vehicles”.
The roundtable convenes senior officials representing police of five regional countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, and Thailand to discuss issues at the fore of recent vehicle theft in the region. The roundtable took place virtually to tackle issues relating to vehicle theft and repatriating stolen vehicles between the regional countries.
In total, there were approximately 20 participants, including YBhg Puan Mas Tina Abdul Hamid, Co-ordinator of Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia who delivered the Opening Address, and YDH Deputy Commissioner Dato’ Hussein Omar Khan, Deputy Director of Intelligent & Operation Division, Criminal Investigation Department of Royal Malaysia Police who delivered the Keynote Address.
In her Opening Address, YBhg Puan Mas Tina Abdul Hamid, Co-ordinator of Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia said that technology has challenged the meaning of tradition. Traditional crimes are facilitated and amplified by the internet and greater technology, crime rates and modalities are reaching new heights at a breathing speed, with vehicles being stolen within 10 seconds or less.
She also highlighted that “Today, we accept the fact that the world is shrinking and increasing becoming borderless. The traditional notion of borders and limitations, need rethinking because the criminals are exploiting fast-changing technology advancement. Global events have local impact, and our destinies are inseparably intertwined. We must open out doors and hearts for more bilateral and multilateral co-operation. The time demand more collaboration between enforcement agencies and various stakeholders to fight organised crime particularly in this regard the vehicle theft”. She concluded her speech by expressing deepest appreciation and thank you to Royal Malaysia Police for jointly hosted the 1st roundtable and all delegates of regional countries.
In his Keynote Address YDH Deputy Commissioner Dato’ Hussein Omar Khan, Deputy Director of Intelligence and Operation Division, Criminal Investigation Department, Royal Malaysia Police, he highlighted the complex crime network, important for regional countries to work closely and learn from one another, “By organising the Regional Roundtable Discussion as this, we are able to facilitate information sharing on latest trends of vehicle theft including typologies of modern-day crime and scam in relation to vehicle theft, so that we can learn from each other. Not just that, recovery of stolen vehicles of neighbouring countries will have the opportunity to be repatriated to their origin country. Given increasingly complex network of organised vehicle theft crime including vehicle theft crime in connection with cybercrime, this platform will be a good avenue to share knowledge and to learn from one another. We should then all work closely to see how we can identify and energies complementary”.
He concluded his speech by emphasising that collaboration among the regional countries in the roundtable is key. One of the ways to win against organised vehicle theft crime is solidarity between enforcement agencies and the stakeholders by sharing of respective information, technology and best practice sharing. He also thanked Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia for taking the lead to organise the roundtable which came just in time and he also thanked all delegates for participating and look forward to see everyone again physically in Kuala Lumpur for our following Regional Roundtable Discussion on vehicle theft.
List of Participants 1st REGIONAL ROUNDTABLE: Braving the Vehicle Theft: Repatriation of Stolen Vehicles
| Country | Organisation | Name |
| Malaysia | Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia (VTREC) | YBhg Puan Mas Tina Abdul Hamid (The Moderator) |
| Malaysia | Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia (VTREC) | YBrs Puan Nur Alwanie Iberahim |
| Malaysia | Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia (VTREC) | Encik Muhammad Alif Mohd Adnan |
| Malaysia | Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia (VTREC) | Puan Izyan Nadiah Mat Din |
| Malaysia | Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) | YDH Deputy Commissioner Dato’ Hussein Omar Khan |
| Malaysia | Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) | YDH Senior Assistant Commissioner Tuan S. Shanmugamoorthy Chinniah |
| Malaysia | Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) | YDH Senior Assistant Commissioner Tuan Saiful Annuar Yusof |
| Malaysia | Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) | YDH Assistant Commissioner Tuan Roslan Tahir |
| Malaysia | Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) | YDH Superintendent Tuan Saravanan Kanniappan |
| Singapore | Singapore Police Force (SPF) | Superintendent Stewart Lai Sze Fung |
| Singapore | Singapore Police Force (SPF) | Senior Staff Sergeant Mohammad Hayqal Samsuri |
| Brunei | Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) | Assistant Superintendent Tuan Haji Khairol ‘Azhani Haji Sahidi |
| Brunei | Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF) | Senior Inspector Khairul Anwar Ahmad |
| Thailand | Royal Thai Police (RTP) | Pol. Colonel Jeerasak Laotap |
| Thailand | Royal Thai Police (RTP) | Pol. Major General Peerawat Inkong |
| Indonesia | Indonesia National Police (INP) | First Police Inspector Putra Adi F. Winarsa |
| Indonesia | Indonesia National Police (INP) | Police Brigader Waskita Wicaksana |
The regional countries are home to more than 389.09 million people. The global economy is beginning to bounce anew from the economy ravages of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in particular countries of regional roundtable such as Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei and Thailand. A number of region countries are considered still in the throes of managing the spread of the new variant, while considered necessary for containing the risk of spreading of COVID-19 new variant, attention on vehicle theft never relaxed. The confinement measures are putting unprecedented pressure on people and economies. It explains why the local and regional role are essential for recovery and explores potential game changing nature of this outbreak for regional development at all levels going forward. Closer regional co-operation and integration in braving the vehicle theft will contribute to region countries growth and prosperity.
The 1st Regional Roundtable: Braving Vehicle Theft: Repatriating Stolen Vehicle was led by YBhg Puan Mas Tina Abdul Hamid, Co-ordinator of Vehicle Theft Reduction Council of Malaysia (VTREC) as the Moderator.
The objective of the Regional Roundtable was to share and understand some of pertinent issues involved as holistic manner as possible with focus on vehicle theft disruption and the session also explored the possibility of ways to repatriate recovered stolen vehicle back to their origin countries.
YBrs Puan Nur Alwanie Iberahim being the Mistress of Ceremony (MC) of the 1st Regional Roundtable Discussion
YBhg Puan Mas Tina Abdul Hamid being the Moderator of the 1st Regional Roundtable Discussion
YBhg Puan Mas Tina Abdul Hamid delivering her presentation and sharing on vehicle theft scenario in Malaysia during the 1st Regional Roundtable
The Honourable Assistant Superintendent Haji Khairol ‘Azhani Haji Sahidi of Royal Brunei Police delivering his presentation on vehicle theft scenario in Brunei
Sharing by the delegation of Malaysia, YDH Tuan Senior Assistant Commissioner S. Shanmugamoorthy Chinniah
Sharing by the delegation of Singapore, Superintendent Stewart Lai Sze Fung
Sharing by the delegation of Indonesia, First Police Inspector Putra Adi F. Winarsa
Sharing by the delegation of Brunei, Assistant Superintendent Tuan Haji Khairol ‘Azhari Haji Sahidi
Sharing by the delegation of Thailand, Pol. Colonel Jeerasak Laotap
Sharing by delegation of Indonesia, Police Brigader Waskita Wacaksana
On top of public health and economic crises, the countries found themselves having to deal with vehicle theft when vehicle theft syndicates smuggled stolen vehicles across out of the country, vehicle theft cost the region countries billions of dollars each year directly or indirectly losses. It appears that vehicles stolen in Malaysia were recovered in Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia while vehicle stolen in Brunei were recovered in Malaysia or vice versa with foreign made vehicle are likely to be smuggled cross-border to other region countries. Participants reflected on their own countries’ experiences, both their successes and challenges in dealing with vehicle theft syndicates. The discussions were positive and forward-looking discussion on how best the countries of the regions able to contribute to the regional networking to stamp down vehicle theft syndicates within the region and ways to return recovered stolen vehicles to the origin countries.
The roundtable provides a venue for the regional countries to share key issues and challenges affecting the regions and the institutions not just vehicle theft crime but other crimes as well. It was a meaningful and fruitful roundtable discussion that covered aspect of vehicle theft and new networking between regional countries. Following the event, there was a plan to hold similar regional roundtable physically in Kuala Lumpur over coming year.
