Crime Prevention & Survival Skills: REACT Programme
With the country in the endemic phase since April 2022, the Perak Women For Women Society (PWW) is beginning to organise programmes that empower (mainly) women and their children. Delayed by the pandemic and its multiple movement control orders, Captain K. Bala is finally in Ipoh to conduct his REACT Crime Survival Programme at the invitation of PWW.
REACT Crime Survival Programme was developed based on the crime pattern, modus operandi and case studies conducted and documented over the past 23 years. Capt. Bala brings with him decades of experience in Search and Rescue (SAR) as well as crime-solving skills to empower attendees with the knowledge and critical thinking needed in the event that we and/or our loved ones were victims of crime.
A serious subject indeed, but this programme was conducted in a light-hearted manner, peppered with jokes now and then. It emphasised simple yet effective techniques to counter street crime no matter where we are, be it at home, in the workplace, on the streets, or even while travelling.
During the almost 4-hour long session, various crime case studies were shared, and appropriate actions the victims could have taken before or during the crime. In many instances, our family members or people in the community could have changed the outcome of an impending crime.
Although I am not at liberty to share the measures that we can take to prevent crime or to react when being a victim of crime, there are some take-home messages from the programme that we should always bear in mind:
1. Do not put down the people whom we love or we will drive them away to the next person who shows them that he/she cares.
2. Surviving a crime is a matter of taking split-second actions or decisions. Think like a criminal and anticipate his next moves. Should we Fight, Free or Freeze?
3. Whenever possible, don’t give the perpetrator(s) an opportunity to commit a crime. For example, don’t engage with fellow road users and end up being a victim of road rage.
4. Be alert though we may live a routine life, even when we are in the supposedly safe space of our home or workplace. Be aware when there are new neighbours, or when there’s a new colleague in the office who just doesn’t seem quite right.
5. Download SaveME 999 mobile app for emergency response. Link: http://savemeprov.999.gov.my/
6. Pepper sprays are legal and allowed to be carried in Malaysia (illegal in Singapore), but only buy water-based sprays that are Made in USA.
Granted, our minds will never be as peaceful after absorbing the knowledge shared by Capt. Bala in his REACT Crime Survival Programme. However, being empowered with crime survival skills, just like the more than 600,000 Malaysians who have been trained in this REACT Programme, is something invaluable that we owe ourselves to learn.
This is my second programme by Capt. Bala and I have learnt so much. The first was also organised by PWW: Road Survival Skills: 15 Must-Have Safety Items In Your Car. If you have the opportunity to attend any of his programmes, don’t miss the chance. Follow his Facebook for upcoming sessions.
Event: REACT Crime Survival programme
Venue: MH Hotel, Ipoh
Date: 14th Aug, 2022
Time: 2pm – 6pm
