Police force
A serious blow
Immediate damage control is to stem loss of public confidence in a vital service, but in longer-term race job protection must go. By Seah Chiang Nee.
Nov 29, 2009

For all the good of Malaysia's New Economic Policy, its reservation of top jobs in the police force has been the biggest cause of its current plight.

From the top down, it needs an injection of more capable leaders and better-motivated officers that the current recruitment policy of recruiting men from only one race.

In this knowledge age, the number of well-trained, bright Malays (or Indians or Chinese) has long become insufficient to run a police force, which is no long the simple institution of the 'kampong' past.

Not only do senior officers, but also the men on the beat have to be educated enough to be able to operate mobile computers and the latest police methods and better understand ethics and morality.

In Malaysia, the best and brightest Malays generally don't join the police force. They become bankers, manage multi-national corporations or set up their own business.

Instead of this caliber of candidates, the force is attracting lower educated or less motivated people, leaving recruiters few good options.

This is a chief cause for the current spate of abuses.

Ironically, because it is attibuted to the Malay race and affirmative action, the reports that police officers were stripping Chinese women and forcing them perform ear squatting has evoked few reactions from the broad Malay population.

Review NEP, salaries

For starters, the pool for recruitment for senior officers can be enlarged if the race quota is opened to other races. If this quota could be set, it could also be changed when national interests demanded.

Of course overall salaries would have to be reviewed to commensurate with capabilities. A proper pay package and fair promotion system are necessary.

As Malaysian blogger Jeelife wrote, "For university graduates, the policeman is one of the lower paid jobs. Lots of graduates will not consider at all of joining our police force.

Thus our police force is not the brightest group in our society (at least academic wise), with an exception of just a very few.

"Will it help if the government raise the salary? My personal opinion is yes. I was once seriously considering joining the police force.

"I felt that it should be a pride and honour to service and protect our citizens, but in the end gave up my mind for multiple reasons, money was one of it."

On police corruption, Jeelife said, "Even 3 years old in Malaysia will know the terms 'kopi duit' aka bribery for our police force.

"I am guilty as one of those who don't mind paying bribes as long as they are doing their job, in thinking that it will support their low pay. (Mind that I am a very law-obedient person and only caught once for speed driving)"

He also referred to a force comprising only of Malays. "When is the last time we saw a non-Malay holding an important position in our police force?

"Yes I understand that our police force consist of mostly Malays.. but the situation in which only Malays are seen holding all the major positions are definitely not encouraging.

"We need to see multi-racial in our police forces, something seriously need to be done."
Nov 29, 2005