Police not a bunch of ‘yes-men’, says Najib
THE allegation by some quarters that the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) were “yesmen” (pak turut) to the government and getting paid without doing any job (makan gaji buta) was baseless.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said the allegation was made to create the wrong perception of the police force among the society.
“Recently, a former leader, who is already 93 years old, claimed that the police were responsible and the one at fault for prompting him to sack a deputy minister in 1998,” he said, adding that the matter had been clarified by the then inspector-general of police, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Mohamed Noor, that the police had no jurisdiction to sack anyone.
Citing Rahim’s reply, Najib said everything that happened then was “all suggested by the PM then”.
He said this in his speech at the 211th Police Day Memorial Parade at Pulapol yesterday.
Meanwhile, the government has allocated RM15 million for the upgrading and repair works of all the Pulapol quarters.
Najib said the additional allocation was a show of appreciation to the police force.
“I don’t want all of you to go home empty handed, so I would like to announce a few souvenirs for the police force,” he said at the parade yesterday.
“I want to announce RM15 million for repair works for Pulapol. Use this allocation to repair your elevators or any other repair works.”
He also reminded the police force of the special investment scheme, through Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) in which the government allocated RM1.5 billion under the Amanah Saham Bumiputra i-KOP Investment Scheme.
PNB had announced in February that it was offering a special investment scheme for the army and police personnel.
Noting that the police force was the oldest security institution in the country, Najib commended them for their service and contributions to the country.
Stressing that the sacrifices of their personnel must always be remembered and honoured, he reminded people of the dark history of Bukit Kepong in 1950 and the bloody incident in Lahad Datu in 2013.
The attack by a group of 185 communist terrorists on the Bukit Kepong Police Station in 1950, which killed 25 police personnel, their wives and children, as well as local villagers, and the bloody incident in Lahad Datu in 2013, were among sacrifices made by members of the police and security forces.
Also present at the event were Najib’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohamad Fuzi Harun.