Challenges facing new IGP

INSPECTOR-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, who retired yesterday after 40 years of service with the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), will be succeeded by the head of the Special Branch, Datuk Seri Mohamad Fuzi Harun (pic).

Sometimes it seems like policing is a thankless job as not many would express their gratitude to the police personnel who perform their duties come rain or shine. According to Datuk Dr Amin Khan, director of Pemandu’s Reducing Crime NKRA, our police force has been successful in reducing the crime rate and crippling gangsters.

The job of the IGP is not only ranked as one of the most stressful jobs but has also routinely been considered as unpopular. Looking at the present scenario, the new IGP has a tough job not only in crime prevention but also fighting corruption within the force and improving the welfare of the rankand-file officers and their families.

The following are some of the things he would need to consider as he embarks on his new role.

> Gain public trust. To do this, he should in his first press announcement promise to clean the force of corrupt practices and aggressively move to get rid of the bad apples who abuse their authority or tarnish the force’s reputation. In the 2017 Transparency International Malaysia’s (TI-M) Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) survey, PDRM was viewed as the most corrupt public institution;

> Show a good example and be whiter than white so that he would be highly respected by the community and all levels of the police personnel;

> Display several important characteristics and qualities, as this job requires integrity, fairness, and respect for the principles of legality, non-discrimination and humanity;

> Be stern and act without fear or favour no matter who the suspects are or despite their political affiliations. Nobody must be allowed to act above the law;

> Keep politics out of policing, and there should be no political interference in the police administration;

> Focus on attacking so-called quality-of-life offences as a way to combat more serious crimes, and undertake a thorough overhaul of personnel, strategies and training within the force;

> Continue and extend community policing based on the latest evidence and findings. Today, modern policing is a “people business” and not an “enforcement business”;

> Start a diplomatic outreach approach which provides and encourages a respectful, respected and open forum for dialogue to reduce crime, uphold justice and improve safety in the country;

> Work towards zero tolerance on corruption, making sure that the police are not going to compromise in their fight against crime at every level. This is only fair to the members of the force who serve with dedication and integrity. A few bad apples spoil the barrel;

> Review and improve the Integrity and Standards Department (JIPS) to make the force respected and more sincere in fighting corruption. The department aims to clean up the police force, come down hard on rogue officers or those charged with dereliction of duty, and to make the public feel comfortable with the police and confident that their complaints or reports would be handled swiftly, professionally and efficiently;

> Identify the reasons for negative opinion of the force and find ways to improve its image; and

> Take care of the welfare of the rank-and-file personnel by, for example, building more quality quarters for them.

It has been reported that some junior officers working in Taman Tun Dr Ismail in Kuala Lumpur have no choice but to rent cheap apartments in Cheras, which is far from where they are stationed. This situation could affect their productivity and compromise their integrity.

The Government should also consider increasing the budget for the force, provide good infrastructure and facilities, and protect the welfare of the PDRM family.

With effective implementation of the above, the new IGP will improve policing standards in Malaysia, enhance professionalism in the police force, and engender consistent respect for law enforcement personnel. They and the people deserve no less.

DATUK AKHBAR SATAR President Transparency International Malaysia