LETTER | Patriot registers its best wishes to our country’s police force as the Royal Malaysia Police marks its 215th Police Day Anniversary on March 25.

As retired members of the police force who now dedicate their voluntary services as Patriot members, we fully appreciate the long, historical and meaningful role soldiered on by the police force over these two centuries.

This journey of over 215 years is no mean task and deserves public and government leaders’ recognition and support for the sacrifices and commitment of tens of thousands of police personnel who all had a stake in the good track record of our police whose mission has always been to safeguard the public from criminal elements.

Patriot is mindful of the fact that there are bad cops, but the truth is that the good cops always outnumbered the bad apples in the force.

In this regard, and on this 215th-anniversary celebration of the police’s long history of service to the nation and its citizens, Malaysians - both the public, civil society leaders, lawmakers and government leaders will appreciate the good work of sincere and hardworking police personnel.

We the retired police personnel at Patriot continue to pledge our loyalty and cooperation in the best interest of all serving police personnel who uphold the vision and mission of the Royal Malaysia Police.

And in this regard, we condemn those bad apples who continue to bring disrepute to the good name and great work of sincere police in all ranks and file.

Performance of the force

Perhaps, on this 215th anniversary, the police, in renewing its pledges to serve the nation and citizens in an ever-changing crime scenario that is fast emerging in this new century, will give added focus to the following.

First, it is time to give emphasis to the body and mind requirements from all personnel. We need to not only look into the performance of the force but the appearance and state of beingness of our officers are equally important for the image and reputation of the police force.

Hence, our officers need to be physically fit. And to demand such fitness from them, the government must allocate facilities and budgets to ensure that they recognise the merits and demands to be fit in their uniform.

Improving working conditions and the hours on duty will go a long way in shaping their mindsets and mental states. Lack of national budgets or expecting the police to find its own source of budgets will continue to weaken our police personnel.

Secondly, after 215 years of service in nation-building, it is a fact that the working conditions and facilities are still way, way far behind in comparison to what Putrajaya enjoys or even what is provided for staff members at GLCs and GLICs.

A giveaway is the breakdowns in computers, printers and IT connectivity; the worn-out chairs and lack of space at workstations; and the state of the motorbikes and patrol cars.

In order to ensure that these tools of work are not compromised, ignored or cut to fit diminishing budgets, we need a government will that recognises that the work of the police today is far more challenging than it was a hundred or even thirty years ago.

No interference from politicians

Thirdly, while serving the public and ensuring their safety and security is a pivotal role, the police force needs appreciation, support and encouragement like any other human organisation.

In this regard, media that keep highlighting the good work of the police personnel are commended by Patriot as it helps shape mindsets and perceptions within and outside the force.

Likewise, media must also not shy away owing to the demands of political correctness in reporting what is going wrong within the force just as much as reporting on external interference will help earn confidence within and outside the force.

Fourthly, politicians and political parties must learn fast how not to interfere with the work of the police. After 215 years of its existence, perhaps a counter-productive culture could have easily seeped into the force as politicians will not stop at anything in ensuring that they gain mileage in their quest to remain popular.

Political interference will affect the morale of all good cops and is infectious in a culture where patronage is often a mantra to get on by being in the good books of the powerful.

Fifthly, able and fighting fit, trained police personnel are an asset to any nation. As such, the government should invest in this human capital that should not go to waste upon retirement. Perhaps it is also timely to re-visit the optional retirement age so that employability is not weakened.

In this regard too, the government should seriously explore making a compulsory national police cadet service for school leavers and fresh graduates. It offers immense opportunities to instil many benefits among citizens.

Our young will be more disciplined and more knowledgeable on the Rule of Law when they enter the work environment. They would be mentally and physically fitter. And the two years of compulsory cadet service would have given them the skills and knowledge in self-defence tactics that can go a long way in responding to any criminal situation in public places.

Hopefully, our leaders and lawmakers will take cognizance of these suggestions which Patriot presents as a bouquet to our dedicated police personnel on the occasion of the police force’s 215th anniversary.

ZULKIFLI MOHAMED is a retired deputy commissioner of police and deputy president of Patriot.

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