Pujut rep reiterates importance of close public-police cooperation

MIRI: It is imperative the local community and the police work together in bringing down barriers that may exist between them.

According to Pujut assemblyman Dr Ting Tiong Choon, solid cooperation between the public and the men-in-blue would ensure effective policing.

“I have received complaints from the community that the police have not been responsive to their reports. When I went to check with the police, it was nothing like what had been claimed.

“This shows that there has been a misunderstanding; that there are barriers between the police and the community.

“The two must work together in bringing down the barriers, for the system to function better,” he said at the opening of a dialogue on crime prevention, which took place at SJK Chung Hua Pujut yesterday.

Dr Ting noted the small number of people attending the dialogue, which he regarded as proof of the barriers between the people and the police force.

In this respect, the assemblyman called upon the local community to put their trust in the police force, ‘seeing them as those ready to help’.

For the police, he hoped that they would strive to understand the people better.

Earlier in his remarks, district police chief ACP Lim Meng Seah acknowledged about the communication issues between the force and the community, which must be addressed.

He pointed out yesterday’s dialogue, which was conducted by the Community Policing Association (CPA) Miri, as a good platform for both sides to address issues and also to find solutions for them.