A few days back I met an old friend. While talking about various issues, we got to talking about the recent cases, which have cast a bad light on the Malaysian police. He was criticizing the Malaysian police and implying that they were all corrupt.
This is from a guy who used to regularly speed, double park and drive on the emergency lanes. He also has no qualms about giving money to get away whenever he is caught either.
He even taught me how to do it:
- Look apologetic.
- Give excuses.
- Talk in a low respectful tone.
- Look at the body language.
- And then finally slip in RM20-RM30.
- “And don’t show the money in your wallet”, he warned.
According to him, this was a good example of “you scratch my back, I scratch your back”.
This set me thinking.
To me, it is not only the people who take bribes who are corrupt. Even those who offer bribes are in the wrong.
Anyway here are some of my ideas about improving the entire Royal Malaysian Police force:
1. Improve their pay. At present I feel that they are highly underpaid in relation to their risks and the work hours they put in.
2. Increase the educational entry requirements for officers. At least a degree for an Inspector.
3. Regular retraining. Physical, language, latest crime fighting techniques and human rights.
4. Focus on their main task. That is to fight crime. Leave them out from religious (eg, khalwat raids), political and immigration issues.
It is indeed sad that a few rotten apples have ruined the image of several other dedicated men and women who work day and night to protect us.
I sincerely hope that they regain the respect that they deserve.
6 comments:
can you remember few months back, the newspaper featured on how are the police living condition? look at the place they stay, some of their billet even worst than the Indo squatter, I don't know...how they keep their mentality sane from this kind of enviroment?
BTW, the flash of your "recent images" very cool :D.
Need to consider the other side also... that is, we need some entity to 'police' the police too...
Sometimes, we just want to save the hassle of going through all the harrassment, and get on with our lives, that's why there is this bribery going on.
To me, we are not living in a perfect world, so long it helps to smooth things up, I don't mind paying a small fine - penny wise pound foolish, not me.
Of course deep down, I still hope that things will improve from here. People of the same colour skin seems to be doing that, and it dishearten me to know that.
I just hope that this rotten system can be mended. And knowing that it will take sometimes to achieve that.
Hopefully with Pak Lah's initiative to cleanse the corrupted mind of its people works soon.
mm. yknow, among all the police encounters i've ever had. Only ONE guy didn't try to get bribed. it seems the norm amongst them.
my dad was caught speeding and one literally asked if we could give him RM50 before we even offered PLUS! he was doing it in front of my 10 y.o brother, what bad example!I'm not sure about their living conditions, but most of them are not physically fit for police (a.k.a Fat), they seem to be well fed...or lack of training?
this is so true. here in the philippines, some people are like that, too. they love to complain, but they are blind to their own corruption. it's sad and irritating. if you contribute to the corruption that goes on around you, then you have no right to complain, right?
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