Funny or offensive? Placard to ward off car thieves in Malaysia sparks online debate, reaction from Johor police

The prospect of having their valuables stolen in Johor Bahru is a common concern among drivers of Singapore-registered vehicles.

One Facebook post appears to have the answer to ward off car thieves across the border.

A photo shared on the SGKaypoh page on May 5 shows a placard stuck on the side window of a car.

It reads: "Please do not break my window again. This car has already been broken into. There is nothing to steal."

SGKaypoh wrote that vehicles from Singapore would need this sign when entering Malaysia, followed by a "laughing" emoji.

The post has since garnered over 1,800 reactions and 1,700 comments.

Several Singaporean netizens were tickled by the placard.

"It's just for fun," one said, while another noted that the cheeky sign was "good".

Malaysian netizens, however, were less than amused.

"Maybe petrol stations in JB need to put a note like this too," one said, referring to Singaporean drivers who illegally fuel up their vehicles with RON95 petrol.

The petrol, which is subsidised by the Malaysian government, is not allowed to be sold to those driving foreign-registered vehicles.

The tongue-in-cheek placard has also provoked a reaction from the Johor police.

JB South OCPD Assistant Commissioner Raub Selamat said it was in bad taste and that the sentiment is far from reality, The Star reported.

“The post is quite mischievous. Police are always committed to ensuring the safety of all, including Singaporeans who come here."

"An average of 250,000 Singapore-registered cars enter Johor on a daily basis, and if all of these cars have their windows smashed, then we would see long lines of people lodging reports at police stations here," he said. 

He added that cases of Singaporean-registered cars being broken into were isolated incidents, and pointed out that Malaysian vehicles have also been similarly targeted by car thieves.

ALSO READ: Singaporean couple who parked car at KSL Hotel finds door and trunk broken into, cash and clothes missing

[email protected]