Break-in

Just earlier today, a friend's house was burgled. Not sure what was the loss, but alhamdulillah no one was at home, so everybody was safe.

Nowadays, people don't wait until midnight or during the quiet night to break into houses. It can happen in the broad daylight, and even when there are neighbours around. There was once when my aunt was watering her plants outside her house, she saw a man whom was using saw blades trying to cut through a neighbour's front door. She did not do anything, thinking that the man was helping out with renovation.

Another case I know, the buglar was in a house for three days, siap masak maggie dalam rumah tu, and NO ONE around the neighbourhood realised it. Apparently, the owner of the house was away for 3 days, but neighbours did not even notice as there were sounds of people moving around the house during the day in that supposedly empty house. They only realised it was broken into when the owner complained the house was ransacked.

I myself would feel very scared if I were to be left alone in the house during the day. I will always try to make plans to go out, if anything happens, it is always better if no one is at home, so no one gets hurt. Few tips that insyaAllah will help to avoid this happening to you.

1. Burglar alarm, nowadays, it has become a necessity for every house. The sound of the alarm will awake us, prepare to get ready, better than being caught while you are sleeping where you are helpless. More often that not, the burglar will run away, shocked! Better still, if the alarm is connected straight to police station. Well, I even put this on during the day.

2. Since most break-ins normally start from the roof top and the hole to enter the house is usually in the toilet, we have this at each of our toilet door.

Buruk la tapi... :p but insyaAllah...

3. Porch area, try not to live it dark. On the lights the whole night. Better to save your life than save the electricity. Put a timer or something. If it's well lit, chances are, they are afraid to enter, scared that people might see them peeping around.

4. When you plan to leave the house for some time, inform your neighbours, so they can help to watch out. Inform the police, so they can also help to make rounds around your house (I donno if they still have this service. but we used to do it back then)

The rest are pretty much trivial, but I think equally important to remember.

5. DO NOT announce that you are home alone on facebook, twitter or any other social network.

6. DO NOT open up when people knock your door to sell things or ask for donation or what not. Just dont be too nice.

7. When you are home alone, try not to show that you are. On the TV, lights, play some music. (From the story Home Alone)

8. Baca yassin 4 penjuru, insyaAllah your house is 'gated' and will be invisible to the eyes of the evil.

9. Be extra careful/alert when washing clothes/hanging clothes, watering plants during early morning and early evening when it is very quiet and sunyi.

10. Also be alert when coming home, opening up gate to enter the porch. My god, this is the most scariest moment of my daily routine. Because people can just follow you and rob. It happened to my aunt before and that robber forced her to open the house and dragged her in macam tarik kereta sorong. Scarry, ok. So just be careful and look around you. Jangan leka.

So this is all I have got so far. Tak jamin selamat, but some effort will help.

To Ayman, hope everything is ok with u and family.