I just came back from a rather long night. The entire extended family was out celebrating the 80th birthday of my grand aunt. A bunch of us cousins decided to make a new tradition of going out clubbing during Day 3 of Chinese New Year and sent my grandma back.
I ended up hanging with the police instead.
We were about to head out after dropping them off when suddenly my aunts and grandma noticed that the entire house was completely ransacked. It’s a good thing we were still there.
The fucking thieves gained entry by strategically putting a couple of pieces of wood over a large storm drain, unscrewing the back gate with surgical precision and taking out the door with a couple of well put strikes that broke the lock.
…before rampaging through the rooms, breaking beds and overturning closets to find cold hard cash. They didn’t take anything else – the police said it’s probably coz gold and other valuables would be hard to sell without detection in a small town like this.
You know how much they netted? Over RM 30,000!
It’s Chinese New Year and the lion’s share of the damage was to my grandma. 🙁
She lost RM 20,000 out of the total (rest were my aunts and one cousin from Singapore).
I called 999 and told them not to touch anything. I was a bit taken aback when the operator said “Mr Poh can you repeat the address?”.
It’s the integrated system with telcos to prevent crank calls.
I realized that half a second after the initial surprise. I was out waiting for the police and then called the Sibu Police Headquarters instead to speed things up. They said they’ve already got the call and they’re sending out a patrol car.
The initial cops who came took a look around and said we needed to take stock of the losses and lodge a report at the main station.
Thus, me and my cousin went with all my aunts and grandma to the police station, made a report, went up to speak to someone and then went back home to wait for the JSJ (Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah – Crime Investigation Department) to come for forensics.
They tried to get fingerprints but didn’t get any.
There has been a spate of break-ins at that area for a long time – the neighbor behind had the same MO. My grandma’s house is never empty – there’s always someone there coz 3 of my aunts and my grandma lives there. The only time it was empty, it got broken into.
Same thing happened to the neighbor to the back. The one at the side was slightly more unlucky, two females were in the house when it happened, but didn’t see the thieves coz they were forced down on the ground. Only money was taken, no valuables.
I think Sibu is getting a bit worse each year – one of my friends chanced upon a robbery in broad daylight yesterday.
I feel so sorry for my grandma and I guess it’s a good thing that some people are gifted with the ability to make others laugh (like my cousin) which puts things in perspective.
The silver lining is that no one was hurt coz the last time someone stumbled upon and recognized the thief in Sibu, the entire family was murdered. It was done to prevent them from pointing him out but one of them managed to get away by jumping from the second floor.
I still feel fucking horrible though – I went to sit with my grandma who was there folding clothes after the robbers rummaged through everything and destroyed the beds to see if there was anything hidden underneath.
She told me that was the money she was planning to use for a vacation. T_T
She’s a very nice person, a kind and selfless woman armed with a cheery smile and always putting other people first. That was her entire life savings she has been putting away slowly over all these years you took, fuckers.
Oh gosh! That is really horrible. Why did she keep all that cash at home? Oh dear! Oh dear!!! So sad that this happened and of all the times, during Chinese New Year. Really spoiled the mood of the season.
There is access from the drain behind the house? That’s bad – I hear that if there is a back lane or something behind the house, it is prone to break-in’s. Have to find some way to block that access so such a thing will not recur.
Glad to know that your grandma and your aunts are all right. What goes around comes around – those cursed robbers will not meet a happy end.
It was ang pows for CNY – my grandma has the most as a matriarch of the family and banks weren’t open yet.
There’s no access – it’s a huge storm drain but the thieves were clever enough to bring some wood to span the bridge. They left it there too.
Thanks buddy! Yeah, important thing is that no one was hurt!
That’s terrible. They didn’t install alarm or at least have a guard dog since there are only females staying in the house?
Money lost can earn again. Luckily no one’s hurt.
Yeah, that’s the most important thing, that no one was hurt.
Cheers bro!
omg, sorry to hear that…
however, you must be very rich loh and have being targetted by those theieves long time ago~
imagine RM30,000 leh~ mana find oh for me~
It wasn’t my house, it’s my grandma’s. Our house has CCTVs and intruder detection systems. I guess they’re not very comfortable with technology, it can be a hassle, I set mine off inadvertently when I go out to smoke too.
Not rich, it’s ang pow money, she’s the matriarch of the entire family dude.
Cheers!
Oh shit! That really really sucks! :((
Yeah it does. 😡
I still feel sorry for my grandma but at least no one was hurt!
Oh no, this is so sad to hear HB, esp for your grandma 🙁 I hate how things are getting from bad to worse every year in this country, how people are getting more desperate and bold and there’s nothing even the police can do. It’s CNY for god’s sake, why would anyone inflict something this cruel onto someone else?? I feel so bad esp for your grandmom who saved all that money for her trip. Curse them la low life scumbags!!
Yeah, it’s a problem that’s getting worse each year.
The police can’t do much when it’s just cash taken (with valuables, at least they can track the stolen goods).
Indeed! I feel so sorry for her too. It’s a good thing she’s so resilient in everything.
Thanks Cas!
OMG… the security is so bad 🙁 On the bright side lucky you guys are alright..sigh money can be earned back but not life… look on the bright side..
Yeah, that’s what I told my grandma too!
Thanks Jess!
oh no. awful. sorry to hear this, and i hope that the remainder of this snake year will somehow turn out to be a very good one for your grandmother to make up for the terrible beginning…
Thanks for the kind wishes Sean!
Appreciate that, buddy!
Totally terrible thing to happen but its a consolation that no one was hurt. That’s thw most important thing!
Yeah, indeed! Cheers Eve!
sorry to hear about that..
not only you.. few of my friends house also got break in when they went back for their holiday..
I always tell my friends that they should put alarm system in their house..
my neighbour house was break in few months ago..There are no alarm system in his house..
Yeah, I was surprised at the number of incidents in Sibu too.
The police are getting swamped. Well, I think they aren’t too comfortable with technology, I don’t have alarms at my place in KL (it’s a condo, there are basic security systems in place) but my house in Sibu does have CCTVs and intruder detection systems.
It can be a bit of a hassle though.
Cheers bro!
Hey man. So sorry to hear about your family’s mishap. Thank god no one was hurt.
Take care aight!
Thanks mate!
That’s the most important thing – no one was hurt!
Sorry to hear that. I think we need to install video camera everyway now.
Yeah, but it’s not practical in some houses and sometimes some people don’t like their privacy affected like that.
Cheers bro!
I’m so sorry to hear that Huai Bin, must be heart-breaking to hear those from your grandma. Not only in Sibu but things are getting worst in every corner of Malaysia, the police should literally do something to prevent such crimes.
Thanks bro!
Yeah, especially for my grandma. The crime situation is getting worse, I wonder where they get the statistics each year from. Violent crimes are up, and so are others.
Oh dear! Hope that your Granny and everyone else will be alright.
Anyway, I wanted to wish you Gong Xi Fa Chai but hmm… not quite the right post but oh well. ^.^
Thanks Wena!
I appreciate that! Happy CNY to you and your family too! 🙂
HB, that is terrible. 🙁 Your poor Grandma, she must be feeling so heartbroken. But you’re right, bright side is that at least no one is hurt and the family is still together.
It must be very traumatising for your grandma and aunts, and they’re probably feeling unsafe in their own home. It is indeed horrible and I really hope their lives will resume normalcy soon. 🙁
I hope the burglars get what they thoroughly deserve.
Yeah, that’s the worst thing – messed everything up, breaking beds and rummaging through cupboards. I can’t imagine the violation of privacy that must feel like.
Things are getting cleaned up though – just had the traditional Heng Hua CNY on the 5th day.
It’s a good thing no one was hurt.
Thanks Jyannis!
oh no.. so sorry to hear.. your poor gma..
Yeah, I feel so sorry for her too! 🙁
Well, the bright side is no one was hurt. There have been an incident where the residents recognized the burglar and they all got murdered in cold blood – right down to the 8 year old kid.
Very sorry to hear that HB. Seems too convenient that the night everyone goes out, the thieves broke in. They must have been camping and observing for awhile.
Thanks buddy!
Yeah that’s the theory too – the house behind and their neighbor also got hit by burglars with the same MO. I think there’s someone watching that neighborhood or perhaps it’s one of them.
Oh dear! Poor granny.**pat pat shoulder** Looking at the bright side, thank God everyone is fine and unhurt.
Grrhhh…..feel like taking your firecrackers and fireworks to tie up the thieves and ask your grandma to lit it!!!
Thanks Yee Ling! 🙂
Yeah, that’s the important thing, that no one got hurt. It happens and they’re over it.
Money can always be earned back, I don’t know about life.
I think that would blow up quite a large number of people.
Crime is happening and increasing in PJ and KL too. Sorry to hear this but most important, no one was hurt. The thieves were probably monitoring the house for quite some time.
Yeah, it’s rampant nowadays eh?
Thanks mate!
That’s what the police said too, they were monitoring the area and probably have been for quite a while since it got hit several times.
=( I feel so bad for your grandma too. Those thieves are really bad!
Thanks Sherrie!
Yeah, crime is getting worse over here. These are not shootings and such which is gang related and thus only affects them but crimes which affect the common people.
That is getting worse for a good reason too. 😡