LETTER | The case of the single mother Saroja Devi Krishnan, 46, who was detained in a police lock-up although she had posted RM500 bail in a dog-bite case deserves a serious review.

If not for the magistrate’s wisdom and quick action, god knows what trauma and tragedy would have further rocked the PDRM.

Indeed, the police may have all the justifications for putting her in lock-up. They will and rightly so, defend their action as “going by the book”.

But any manmade law or procedural compliance that lacks compassion and discernment makes the very rule of law and the police department’s Standard Operating Procedures a liability to gaining and maintaining a sterling reputation.

As we take stock of the countless reports of police misgivings relating to their action or the lack of it, what stands out is the absence of compassion and discerning empowerment in police procedures.

Occasionally we do get to read about a good cop or chieftain doing some impressive public relations repair work to rescue and showcase the caring soul in the unit. But that is not the end of it.

It is time for PDRM to review and re-appraise its operatives. As a guardian of security, peace and safety, PDRM must take full advantage of the power of compassion and humane discernment in endeavouring to keep the rule of law most sacrosanct and SOPs most meaningful.

When the virtue and power of compassion and discernment are lacking or weak, we will surely end up with many more instances like this dog bite case, only to further erode the reputation of our police.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.