All Malaysian shoppers are potential SHOPLIFTERS!

[bslee]

Yes, why am I so annoyed at this trend after a very recent visit to some supermarket at Main Place.
Because when you walk into countless supermart (not just grocery but IT mart or other supermarket like environment) your hand carried shopping bags from other shopped items are tied up with cable tie to prevent you bagging "stolen" items from the place.
Maybe happening at some places, you've to surrender your other shopped items to a security counter and handbags checked when exit.
THIS IS AN ABSURD TREND! Shows how lowly Malaysia is! Developed konon! Developed status don't just mean fancy infrastructure and most modern buildings. Its encompass good civilized culture and mindset too.
I know there's pros and cons but this isn't exactly a right of the shop.. its a BLARDI INSULT to our personal integrity! Are their losses so great that this kind of insult need to be carried out in the name of security?
What next? armed security at the entrances?

[Naka]

Yes, why am I so annoyed at this trend after a very recent visit to some supermarket at Main Place.
Because when you walk into countless supermart (not just grocery but IT mart or other supermarket like environment) your hand carried shopping bags from other shopped items are tied up with cable tie to prevent you bagging "stolen" items from the place.
Maybe happening at some places, you've to surrender your other shopped items to a security counter and handbags checked when exit.
THIS IS AN ABSURD TREND! Shows how lowly Malaysia is! Developed konon! Developed status don't just mean fancy infrastructure and most modern buildings. Its encompass good civilized culture and mindset too.
I know there's pros and cons but this isn't exactly a right of the shop.. its a BLARDI INSULT to our personal integrity! Are their losses so great that this kind of insult need to be carried out in the name of security?
What next? armed security at the entrances?

Checking bags is very normal in many supermarkets.

I have seen armed security at several entrances in several cities around the world

[bslee]

Checking bags is very normal in many supermarkets.
I have seen armed security at several entrances in several cities around the world

Last year in Hatyai, every major shopping complex within city are with security and entrance scanner to check for explosives or dangerous stuff. All bags are checked. That's understandable due to recent events in the news.
Shenzhen and Guangzhou LRT stations have scanners to prevent potential bomb threats. Here?..maybe waiting for something to happen, God forbid.. but thats another issue and story...

[jan tomaswaki]

Cool Lee,if you enter Singapore thru. tambak Johor,you will see Gurkha Guards carrying machine guns right in the middle of the road.If you take the MRT you also see policeman carrying machineguns.That's life today.Live with it!

[Henry T]

First World infrastructure, but Third World mentality, mah.

[Greenwich]

I think Lee is referring to the security guard who use cable tie to tie up shopping bags of customers to prevent theft in the shop, not about the security checks to screen terrorist or at the entry point of a country.

So far, I have not experienced such blardy shit from a place that I am going to spend money. If I am asked to give my bag to security guard to tie with cable tie, I will ask them to fxx off, just leave and don't go there again....

They are just blardy cheapskate, don't want to invest in detection system/equipment at the exits of shop.

[bslee]

So far, I have not experienced such blardy shit from a place that I am going to spend money. If I am asked to give my bag to security guard to tie with cable tie, I will ask them to fxx off, just leave and don't go there again....
They are just blardy cheapskate, don't want to invest in detection system/equipment at the exits of shop.

If not mistaken their other branch at Subang Parade don't do this...never, I think, so you'd not experience such.
The presume, the one at Main Place just done this very recently, there was no such thing 2 weeks ago. I usually go in to browse for certain things where I know some items are offered cheaper and since I'm already there.
I retorted to the guard " You treat and make us look like wannabe shoplifters".. I think the store manager was standing in the middle and monitoring the situation.

[AltV]

Unfortunately shoplifting is common in Malaysia, so I don't blame shop owner for extra security measures.

[bslee]

Unfortunately shoplifting is common in Malaysia, so I don't blame shop owner for extra security measures.

My take is they don't have sufficient justification to self enforce to this low level. Is there any statistics that shoplifting in Malaysia is at alarming level? It begs questions like. do we often hear numerous shoplifters penalized for the offence? Have the situation gone out of reasonable control? Are supermarkets losing so much that its become intolerable? Have people's behavior gone really bad, turned kleptomania and gone unchecked?
This is not the same as for 60 years that people have to grill up their homes, build high walls as deterrent, community gating and security posts? Obviously when a home is robbed or broken into, a lot can be lost..A LOT!
I really wonder what this country is becoming in due course. Third world mentality or Malaysian's tendency to misbehave or resort to some offence to crime is on the rise silently? Civilized and developed konon! No joke anymore.
Anyway, now I know which place does this and I WILL NOT STEP THERE ANYMORE! I'll buy elsewhere!

[Sentinel]

Every international hotel in Jakarta has a security scanner that scan the guests and their bags before you enter the hotel - from the main door or from their car park... they also stop all cars and look into the booth and bags and even use mirrors to view undercarriage.... JW Marriott was bombed out - not once but twice - that is life today... not happy go stay in a local hotel.... its the same with major shopping malls too....

All cars entering KL Hilton and Meridien Hotel in KL Sentral also go through thourough screening, search.... what gives?

[chookyan]

Bags are also x rayed before you enter the subway stations in Beijing - no big deal, all for the interest of safety!

[chookyan]

If not mistaken their other branch at Subang Parade don't do this...never, I think, so you'd not experience such.
The presume, the one at Main Place just done this very recently, there was no such thing 2 weeks ago. I usually go in to browse for certain things where I know some items are offered cheaper and since I'm already there.
I retorted to the guard " You treat and make us look like wannabe shoplifters".. I think the store manager was standing in the middle and monitoring the situation.

Firstly, if you are talking about the supermarket in Main Place, they do not have a branch at Subang Parade but at Empire. The cable tie thing has been there since they opened at Main Place, probably because they do not have a barcode machine readable exit verifier. My 2 sen worth

[jacksonlim]

Previously in Carrefour (Now AEON Big) Subang years ago, they used to put zip tie on all my Laptop bag zipper, I mean every single one. They don't have secure storage facility. Since AEON Big take over these kind of nonsense no longer happen.

[Greenwich]

Bags are also x rayed before you enter the subway stations in Beijing - no big deal, all for the interest of safety!

Of course, no big deal.

How about this....

My laptop bag, my wallet, etc., all have to be scanned by x ray scanner just like in the airport every time before I am allowed to enter the lift lobby. On top of that, visitor to this building is required to provide evidence of identity (IC for local and passport for foreigner). This personal data is stored in the company server and I was told the info will be subject to cross-checking with some security units in this country. After 911, some of the parking lots in the basement car park have been "removed" if the parking lots are too near to critical structures like the main beams of the building. These are the safety and security precautionary measures.

But this is besides the point. This thread is about some shops that disrespect customer's right by treating them as potential shoplifter, it is not about security screening due to terrorist threat..

[bslee]

But this is besides the point. This thread is about some shops that disrespect customer's right by treating them as potential shoplifter, it is not about security screening due to terrorist threat..

EXACTLY!.. thats the whole crux of the issue. It shouldn't happen. If shops or establishments are so afraid of petty loss, then don't run a business. You don't run a business and insist to disrespect all customers with some silly procedure. That's my view. It all contribute to a lowly and regressive trend and the country heading towards insecure state of affairs. Already most have to grill up homes to prevent break in. Tendency so high even after nearly 6 decades of Merdeka.