TV Cameras, Crime Prevention and Political Control

Aliran is concerned about the Kuala Lumpur police’s recent plan to use closed-circuit television cameras in selected streets in their attempt to curb criminal activities in the city.

We laud the police force’s efforts to find ways to stamp out illicit activities such as drug abuse and peddling, in line with its safe city concept.

But the use of such technology raises the possibility of it being used for the political surveillance of innocent citizens. It would then intrude into their  privacy and hinder their democratic right to move freely.

This Orwellian scenario goes against the notion of a civil society where private citizens have a right to protect their privacy and  assemble and move about freely.

It is significant that this has also been the primary criticism of citizens’ groups in countries such as Britain where such technology has been used by the state to cut operational costs in the police force.

We urge that the police instead increase the number of their personnel monitoring and controlling troubled urban areas and ensure that street lighting facilities are improved. This approach would be a much better way of facilitating greater human interaction and cooperation between the police and the public.
 

Aliran Executive Committee
24 March 1998