YOURSAY | ‘Police welfare and abuse of power by errant cops are two separate issues.’

IGP gathering details of cops' concerns about IPCMC

Vote BN out: According to inspector-general of police Mohamad Fuzi Harun, cops want a representative on the proposed Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC). But to have one of their own on the commission defeats the original purpose of it all.

If they do that, then they might as well remove the "I" from the IPCMC.

On the Other Hand: The police want to set conditions about the composition of the IPCMC? This is all the more reason why there should not be a police representative on board an overseeing and disciplinary body.

Anonymous #13114320: Before the commission is implemented, it is also important to look into the welfare of police officers, i.e., their basic salary. I doubt their salary currently matches their responsibilities, or is sufficient for their social needs.

The government needs to look at countries like Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea and understand how to improve their welfare before wiping out corruption.

Otherwise, it won’t be effective, and will only result in a lot of disgruntled officers. Ask yourself, if you have decency enough to take care of your family, would you risk resorting to crimes?

Malaysia Baru the Land of Sunshine and Hope: What does their salary have to do with the wrongdoings of the police? You mean to say the police can continue to do whatever they like, and the public has no avenue to redress these wrongdoings? This effectively makes the public the victim of trigger-happy cops.

The police should live within their means. As I understand it, with allowances and overtime thrown in, officers take home a handsome sum at the end of the day.

Should the IPCMC not be implemented, so certain corrupt officers can afford to live in luxury with kickbacks from gambling and prostitution syndicates, traffic offences, illegal immigrants, etc?

Some officers are living beyond their means. The IPCMC will discipline our police force. The police may not want the commission, but oversight is not up to them.

Dirtbag: All countries have their own internal investigations bureaus; ours should not be different. We need to check for abuse and corruption in such systems.

Kutan: The first thing the Pakatan Harapan government ought to have addressed is reform of the judiciary and police force. Set it in motion at least, then you will be seen to be doing something.

For police chiefs, welfare overshadows push for IPCMC

Kawak: The government must pay heed to the grouses and grievances of the police force. This is particularly so for those from the lower ranks. The shabby apartments they are living in and low salaries for jobs which involve high risks.

Look at how Singapore remunerates their police officers and looks after their welfare. The police should have their own salary scales, different from the general civil service pay scales.

As long as they have financial difficulties to cope with rising cost of living, they will require "extra income” from other sources.

Snowcrash: The fact that the Bukit Aman Integrity and Standard Compliance Department chief can say that he wants a lenient oversight body is why, beyond a doubt, we need a strong IPCMC.

The IPCMC must be formed and funded immediately before the rot in our police force gets any worse.

Gerard Lourdesamy: Police welfare is an administrative issue under the Home Ministry as part and parcel of the terms and conditions of employment of the force. The IPCMC is a policy matter that involves the constitution, good governance, integrity and human rights.

I agree that a police bill of rights can be included in the IPCMC law, but the police should not equate one with the other.

Are they saying that the commission is not required because the police are entitled to abuse their power or engage in unfair, illegal or corrupt practices as a means to compensate for their allegedly poor salaries?

All power must have limits, and be subjected to proper and effective oversight and regulation.

The police cannot behave as if they are a law unto themselves. They have to be accountable for their actions, or indeed, inaction.

Anonymous #69337042: The IPCMC should be implemented without further delay. It has been shelved for more than 10 years.

Good and responsible police officers should not be afraid of the commission. Only those abusing and misusing their power for self-aggrandisement and self-enrichment need to worry about the IPCMC.

There have been many complaints about the misconduct of the police force, and the public has no proper avenue to air their grievances.

It is the hope of the public that with the IPCMC, the police will cleanse their tarnished image as a corrupt and inefficient enforcement body.

Abasir: Veteran journalist A Kadir Jasin should step in. He should, like an old teacher, tell these whining district police chiefs that there is no logical connection between public complaints of corruption and misconduct and their sole concern about police welfare.

Veteran newsman schools Waythamoorthy, Maszlee

Mamadias: Great article Kadir, you know the inner working of Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the how he runs the country.

You have been around long enough to advise Education Minister Maszlee Malik and de facto National Unity Minister P Waythamoorthy on what to and not to do in managing issues in this country.

More of this kind of constructive criticism will be good for everyone in running the country. Sounds harsh, but it is a great start.

Plato: Kadir, I think you are hitting Waythamoorthy below the belt. He questioned why the Subang Jaya police chief distorted the facts by stating two Indian groups were fighting in the Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman temple incident, instead of between a Malay group who trespassed onto the temple grounds and devotees, as confirmed by Home Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in Parliament.

Is that wrong, or do you think such matters should be swept under the carpet, like during the time of BN? If Waythamoorthy did not question and rectify the district police chief's statement, it would have only angered the Indian community further for such distortion of facts.

Please, grow out of your Umno mentality, as this is 'New Malaysia'. We need ministers to speak out for the rakyat, as opposed to mincing their words for the civil servants who keep bungling up in the exercise of their duties.

Behsaikong: As the prime minister's official media and communication adviser, this man should not be so free as to scold or tick off ministers the way he has been doing.

He must decide if he is indeed speaking for himself or his boss. In fact, with his official relationship with the prime minister, he should keep his mouth shut.

We the people cannot be made to guess if he speaks for our prime minister, or merely for himself each time he writes in his blog. If he does not have the discipline, then he must be replaced as the prime minister’s spokesperson.

We do not forget that this is the man who announced that 40-plus Umno MPs were going to cross over to Bersatu. These are very serious matters to go public with.

Even if his views are correct in some specific instances, there still must be a protocol. Is he speaking his own mind, or he is the prime minister’s spokesperson?

Ian2003: In this ‘New Malaysia’, everyone is free to speak his mind as long as these are wise words, and what Kadir said is indeed wise. So, buck up, ministers.

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