KUCHING: Imagine being able to notify the authorities about a crime happening around you with just a few taps on your smartphone.
That is the convenience offered by the National Public Community Complaint Network (RAKAN), the latest digital platform by the Department of National Unity and Integration (JPNIN), designed to directly connect communities with safety networks quickly and systematically.
JPNIN’s Director, Dirwana Azool, said that the application was created to make it easier for the public to send preliminary reports to the authorities without having to go to a police station or government office.
“Now, reports can be made easily and quickly through the application, anytime and anywhere,” he said during the 2025 National Security and Unity Townhall Session held here on Saturday.
He also commended the close cooperation between JPNIN and the police through the Volunteer Smartphone Patrol (VSP), introduced a few years ago and now expanded through special briefings across all divisions.
He said that although applications such as VSP and RAKAN may seem simple to use, they play an important role in crime prevention, especially in rural areas with limited monitoring.
“We do not expect every Neighbourhood Watch (KRT) to submit reports daily. Once a month is sufficient. If a thousand KRTs send in reports, we will have a thousand data points for the authorities to act on,” he explained.
He also urged KRT leaders and community heads to attend the briefings and training sessions on the app to avoid being left behind in the digital era of security management.
Dirwana said internal statistics show that JPNIN is the agency that submits the most community-related issues to the National Security Council (MKN) at national-level meetings.
“This proves that we are not merely maintaining unity symbolically but also taking community safety seriously across all segments of society,” he added.
In addition, the RAKAN app serves as a database of local issues, enabling the authorities to plan more accurate and effective interventions.
He reminded the public that crimes today are not limited to robbery or physical violence but also include online scams, illegal gambling, and misuse of funds.
“We must know how to use both applications so that we can act before it is too late. This is a step toward freeing our communities from the influence of modern crime,” he said
Dirwana added that his department will be visiting all divisions in Sarawak with the cooperation of the police and MKN.
