The Malaysian Insider
August 17 2009
The Royal Malaysian Police Farce
by Dato Nur Jazlan
As a Member of Parliament, I used to defend the police when faced with numerous complaints from my constituents in Johor Baru.
I told my constituents to have faith in the police as their alternative would be to pay for expensive personal security guards. No more.
More than a month ago, my trust and belief in the police force evaporated when my wife was mugged in broad daylight in her car at the front gate of my house by two men on a motorcycle.
I had spent a lot of money protecting the perimeter of my house from all forms of intrusion and expected the police to provide a safe neighbourhood beyond it. I certainly did not expect my wife to be violated right in front of my house.
I live in a middle-to-upper-class neighbourhood of Damansara Heights in Kuala Lumpur where many senior politicians, top civil servants and businessman already pay for a private security service.
This extra layer of private security may have lulled the local police force into such a false sense of security that they are able to spend more time erecting roadblocks to catch speeding cars along Jalan Bukit Kiara in front of the Intan campus every day, rain or shine, instead of securing my neighbourhood a kilometre away.
I need not remind the public of the free time the traffic police have to set up the many unnecessary “cari makan” speed traps and roadblocks on major public and tolled highways.
Over the years, the public have been assured by the police that they are implementing various strategies to reduce crime in the country. And they have produced statistic after statistic to show that reported crime in the country is down.
However, the feedback I get back from the public in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru is that crime is on the rise in their neighbourhood.
When I told them that the statistics point to a reduction in crime, they dismiss it and say many of them don’t bother to report petty thefts as they have no confidence that the culprits would be caught anyway. In fact, when they did make reports, many of them were told exactly that by the investigating police officers.
Back to my wife, she was told that the two men fitting the description she gave to the investigating officer were reported to have robbed many other lone women drivers in the Bangsar area over the last few months.
Coincidentally, a good friend of mine was also attacked by a group of Mat Rempits in front of the Bangsar Shopping Centre at 2 am a few weeks ago.
In my opinion, the main reason why the police have failed to reduce crime, or at least reduce the perception that that crime is pervasive in the country, is that they have little idea of strategies to be used against this new wave of disorganised crime.
Gone are the days when the police were managing organised crime by holding the local crime boss responsible for the wayward actions of his downliners.The country was perceived as being safe back then.
Another reason could just be that the police chiefs are greedy or in the pockets of the local gangsters, funded by the lucrative DVD pirating business amongst others and are too busy protecting them to bother about tackling petty crimes and protecting the public at large, ironically echoing the Police hit “Wrapped Around Your Finger”.
Can anyone tell me different? Because this is all public perception.Someone asked me, “do you remember the last time when a big time crime boss has been indicted in the last 20 years?” I can’t, can you?
Coincidentally, the crime rate had worsened over this period. The bottom line is, the police managed to keep the country safe in the past by managing organised crime.
The gangsters running organised crime ran a tight ship. The top gangsters would ensure that the downliners in their network did only what they were told to do.
A “good” gangster wouldn’t want to suffer any embarrassment or loss of face in his area of control and would dish out harsh punishment if the underlings misbehaved.
Maybe the police force can learn something from the gangster system to ensure their own downliners tow the line.
They can learn from the Hong Kong Police Force on how to manage organised crime. Hong Kong crime gangs regularly have turf wars but Hong Kong residents can still feel relatively safe walking on the streets at night.
Recently in Hong Kong , a major crime boss was brazenly murdered in front of the Shangri La hotel. He was run over by a car and subsequently had his limbs chopped off by his attackers, in full view of the public. Despite this, the citizens of Hong Kong still feel safe.
But I suspect over the last decade, the underworld network has broken now with new would-be criminals bypass the traditional crime networks.
They operate at the lower level of the crime chain and are not controlled by a higher authority.The public cannot expect the police force to stop these new criminals. The police have failed to change their highly bureaucratic organisational structure to respond to the new democratised criminal environment.
As a result, these new criminals are allowed to operate wantonly without fear of the police.
With that in mind, I am not surprised at the growing opposition to the second contract extension for the Inspector General of Police , Tan Sri Musa Hassan.He has been given four years to transform the police force and restore people’s confidence, and he has failed thus far.
I think the current bad crime situation warrants extreme action. Maybe the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak should emulate his father’s action in catapulting a junior officer to like Tun Haniff Omar to the top position of IGP to shake up the police force.
Tun Haniff was just 35 years old when he was appointed as the nation’s top cop and he was given enough time to transform the police force then.The police force should be reorganised from a top-heavy bureaucracy into a flexible people-friendly organisation.
The police force currently has more than 90,000 personnel. However only 30,000 of them are actually working the street beat.The other 60,000 are higher paid administration level staff filling paperwork in the office.
Maybe its time the organisation structure of the police force is turned on its head and the larger administration staff are ordered to leave their comfortable office and patrol the streets.
I am sure they would be more effective in ensuring the streets are safe than sitting in the office. If they refuse, then they should be given early retirement so that the police force is able to hire newer, more dedicated staff.
The increased numbers of beat cops would strengthen the police network at street level and allow the police to start building community partnerships and strengthening neighbourhood watch schemes like Rukun Tetangga to deter the perpetrators of petty and small crimes.
The police should strive to create a “kampung” environment especially in city areas like Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru.
This would enable the police force to identify the residents in local areas and make it easier to identify outsiders.
The extended network of the kampung would, in effect, ring fence the local community and put fear into the would be criminals and deter them from entering the community.
If the new IGP can implement my suggestions above, maybe then I would believe I would start to have faith in the police force again. Maybe.
Din Merican: the Malaysian DJ Blogger 
Dato Nur Jazlan is correct. We need to fix the Police Force so that it will be a protector of the rakyat, not a tool of repression against the Malaysian public. Time to appoint a new IGP who is young, dynamic and has a distinguished career. This new IGP must use the Royal Commission report and implement its recommendations in toto. As for the present IGP, well, he should be investigated and made to account for his decisions and actions.
The crime rate is high because, I think, the Police is busy with politics and moonlighting. The Royal Malaysian Police should be a FORCE which commands our respect and admiration for its professionalism and integrity, and not a FARCE. —Din Merican
Enough is said about our Police. I feel there’s simply no political will on the part of our political masters to do the need be. It takes a thief to catch a thief but when both thieves are scratching each other’s back we get the situation we are in now.
Dato Nur Jazlan is right that the traditional underground networks are losing control over the ‘nontraditional’, lower rung low lifes. This has been happening over the past 2 decades or so, with the
* influx of ‘immigrants’ and other itinerants,
* rise in drug addiction rate’s,
* infighting within the criminal heirachy,
* loss of traditional ‘values’ and weakness of the command-control structure,
* sophisticated money laundering schemes, when the chiefs lose respect of their juniors, as they try to gain a semblance of outward public respect. Some of these notorious gangstas are now datuks besides being millionaires…
* implicit and explicit ‘alliances’ between the law enforcers and the lawless.
Having being brought up in the ‘heart of K.L.’, i know how the system of organized crime works – and i personally know some of the ‘advisors’ and ‘tiger generals’ of yore, not that i’ve been inducted. Several years ago, a friend’s professional business premises was robbed and out of desperation, he called me up to see whether he could avoid being retargeted – that shows his confidence level in our ‘mata-mata’. I called up one of my old ‘buddies’ to enquire. 48hrs later, this contact called me up to say that his ‘people’ had done due diligence(investigated), but none of their boys were involved. But they ‘caught’ the 2 druggies responsible – and would return back whatever measely loot that remained, then summarily executed ‘extralegal’ punishment on the ‘offenders’ besides making them apologise! Now, how’s that for efficency and integrity? What would have pdrm, courts etc done?
Of course, i’m not doing apologetics for the hoodlums. But what we see is that the exponential rise in crime rates nowadays are due to the inability of pdrm to evolve and reform to meet the challenges. Besides their ‘cari-makan’ habits and strong-arming of political adversaries, they have no direction. Like a headless chicken or a rabid alsatian depending on the circumstances.
How many of the top brass is fully trained in Criminology? Forensic psychology? Forensic accounting? What is the basis of promotion up the ranks? Bodekism, with sharing of ‘profits’.
Yes Din, it is no longer a Force – it is rather, a Farce
Bodekism, with sharing of ‘profits’….Menyalak-er
I like your newly coined word ” Bodekism” .This ” Bodekism” is now a culture and the Minister of Culture is the doyen of the new ideology. No wonder he last longer than other smarter ministers. He perfected the ” Bodekism” culture among politicians and civil servants.
Let’s hope it does not take another victim close to home for another politician from the ruling party to come out and share their lack of faith in the police force. This is something that we, the ordinary citizens, have been saying for a long time.
I particularly like Dato’ Nur Jazlan’s question about when was the last time we heard of a big-time crime boss being detained. It is a loaded gun to the IGP. A pertinent hammer on the nail sentiment that if we, the ordinary rakyat, were to voice out shall be met with a hail of denials and even crude admonishments.
Now it is clear. Even Damansara Heights residents are not safe. IS the government going to do anything about bringing in fresh blood? Clear signs of tiredness are there to be seen. And not to mention the partiality in treatment. We have seen all over the world that when there is abuse by those in position of of authority, things will eventually fall apart. I mean more than just the police force.
But for a start, how about keeping the PDRM truly Royal, answerable to King and Country, not to UMNO and certain select ones within the party?
A while back I wrote to register my mounting concern that on my street of four blocks, almost every other house has been broken into, a few more than twice in the last three years.
And also I have to feel the anguish of loved ones, three of my nieces, falling victims to snatch thieves within the space of just two years. And if I include friends who have become victims, the number jumps!
“Tan Sri Musa Hassan, please retire, ungraciously, in this case, I don’t care.” Don’t mistake the accolade of honour from a neighbouring country as an endorsement for a job well done.
And Pak Menteri semuanya: Do something or the rakyat will do you in! Just giving lip service won’t cut it anymore.
If there is no political will to do the right thing, the wrong thing will be done for political benefit. Bodekism is what the powerful politicians expect from those who serve them. Sad, but very true.
We just can’t fix things for the general good. Will the present IGP’s contract be renewed? That is now the question.—Din Merican
” DONT mistake the accolade of honour from a neighbouring country as an endorsement of a job well done “.
– bc
bc , singapore has this habit of giving awards to those from neighbouring who contribute towards keeping singapore safe , healthy and prosperous . musa used his position and the men under him to do exactly that – to keep singapore safe, healthy and prosperous .
the award from singapore is not for anything good he did in or for malaysia nor malaysians. but yet everything seems to point towards another award – an extension of his contract . and why not ? afterall, he has been umno’s faithful b..tch .
Din, how could there be any political will doing the right thing when a wrong political team is leading the country. Any which way they move it’s always towards doing the wrong thing. They have no clue what’s right all along.
How could they ever know when all along they did the wrong thing thinking it was right. There never was any other way but one, doing right things for themselves.
By the way, we did the wrong thing too, by keeping them in office for too long had indeed made them think there were doing things right.
How wrong we were too.
“I need not remind the public of the free time the traffic police have to set up the many unnecessary “cari makan” speed traps and roadblocks on major public and tolled highways. Over the years, the public have been assured by the police that they are implementing various strategies to reduce crime in the country.”
Over here, the police in their patrol cars first sound the siren when going after a driver who has violated traffic rules. The car moves almost immediately to the side of the road away from traffic and comes to a full stop.. The police car would stop behind his or hers. You’re not allowed to leave your car. The officer in his car does a quick check on his computer, scour the police and the DMV ( Department of Motor Vehicle) data base to find if there are outstanding summons not paid, warrants etc and if you are a wanted criminal. If there is nothing then he would approach the driver on the driver side and ask him for his license and registration. He is not allowed to carry a conversation beyond that. He writes out a summon and gives it to you and after giving you his warning he walks back to his car and drives away.
Not so in Malaysia. In Malaysia the policeman carries on a scripted conversation with you which ranges from who you are and where you work, and if you want to avoid the inconvenience of having to attend court and how hot the day is and how thirsty he is for his usual cup of coffee.
Dato’,
Where were you before your wife gets mug? Anyway, my blood boils whenever I see the vampires manning speed traps along Bukit Kiara every weekend. Instead of spending time to curb crime, they enjoy the fruits of catching speedsters along 6 lane carriageway running at 90kmh. what’s next from this, Musa?
Dear Dato,
A WOMEN FOR IGP IN MALAYSIA
I am sure you are awared of the consequence. You have chosen to speak up on the PDRM farce. Please do not be intimated by the guy, Nazri. For all we know, he may even say to you ” tough luck your wife was mugged” , the PDRM has more urgent tasks to do.
For once a BN MP has spoken on an issue that the public has been crying out loud for years.Taxpayers money , hundreds of thousand Ringgits were spent on A Royal Commission and hundreds of pages of report typed out, nothing happens.
Please get your other colleague in BN, ( leave out that Backbencher Chairman ) to press for another ” Tun Hanif Omar ” type to be the IGP. Let no one carry favour on this appointment. The last few IGPs were selected with special favours ( you had to do what I tell type ).
Like I said, maybe Malaysia should consider to have a women as IGP. Women is universally acknowledge to be less corrupt. Dato Zeti is doing a good job in Bank Negara. Please have no fear of losing your seat in the next GE13. If UMNO kicked you out , so be it, stand as an independent or join Zaid in PKR.
In USA, two Presidents had chosen a women to be Secretary of State, why can’t Malaysia have a women as IGP. Implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission and raise this issue in Parliament.
Please also tell the Home Minister to order IGP Musa to stop all the ” cari makan ” roadblocks in the urban area during this Hari Raya Puasa season and on the trunk roads. Sure, station PDRM to warn motorists of careful driving.
COME ON, BE A GOOD SOD, GIVE US A BREAK THIS HARI RAYA SEASON.
Just to give you an absurd situation. The old road to Kuantan from KL, passing through the ” sleepy” town Gambang. The speed limit is 50 KM . Now hear this, at 1 am in the morning would you be driving at 50 KM speed. A few years back, I was summoned for driving at 80 KM at 1.30 am. The PDRM set up table with bright lights near the petrol station outside Gambang town to carry out ” deals” I chose summon and not the ” cari makan ” deal. This exercise normally takes place in the puasa month.Please check this out whether PDRM still do it. Unfortunately, I do not do this 1.30 am trips to Kenyir for fishing anymore.
God Bless you and family.
A woman IGP?? Yes, it is time!
My favorite for the job is Rafidah Aziz but you’ll need to send her to boot camp for one year. Six months will not be enough. She should be placed under the charge of (rtd) Brig.Gen Tok CIk. Tok Chik will be given sole responsbility for her training. I can just picture her in my mind’s eye running in full uniform complete with army boots, rifle and bayonet and sack loaded with bricks running up Pantai Hills every morning with Tok Cik behind her with a bayonet aimed at her fat ass!
http://www.malaysiakini.tv/video/17615.html
This is disgraceful!
Over here it would have taken one police officer to cuff him. If he attempts to resist one officer or two is all it takes to wrestle him to the ground and within minutes he would be in a police car.
We need Rafidah Aziz as the first woman IGP. She would wrestle him to the ground in a scissor grip, a toehold or a nelson. That will be the end of him.
Why is our ADUN or is he MP, allowing himself to be treated this way?? As a lawmaker, though he feels no law has been broken, if he is asked follow the police he should do so willingly.
It is not a pretty sight to be seen being manhandled, pushed to the ground and cuffed. You owe it to your supporters to handle yourself with dignity.
The sight of a people’s representative with his pants down is not exactly the sight I want to wake up to.