Kota Baru snatch theft in Malaysia.

Poor elderly woman! Nobody is there to help her because of huge public distrust.

When there is a huge public distrust, a person will always second-guess another person's kind gesture.  This results in public apathy and people are unwilling to step forward to help.

An excellent example to depict the public distrust would be the Singapore driver's kind gesture.

http://sg-stock.blogspot.sg/2018/01/it-doesnt-pay-to-be-samaritan-in.html

2 kind drivers offered to a drive to students during raining days but police were called in to investigate the incidents.  Who would want to do good deed or offer kind gesture when the police will come knocking at the door?