IT’S unprecedented to hear about a top police officer admonishing a room full of the most senior cops from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), and then uploading a video of the shelling online.
When these CID officers from around the country gathered for a closed-door meeting, they surely would have expected some tough words from Bukit Aman CID chief Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain.
He had already built a reputation for his commitment towards cleaning up the force and getting rid of rogue policemen.
Mohd Shuhaily has received the backing of Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain and his deputy, Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.
The CID officers, who hold sensitive positions, were told that they had to declare their assets.
The officers include those in the Intelligence and Operations Division, Anti-Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies Division (D7), and head of the CID Division at district police headquarters.
While many Malaysians perceive cops as corrupt, Mohd Shuhaily went a step further by revealing that some officers were willing to risk their comrades’ lives for payment from syndicates by providing false information during operations.
Stern warning: Comm Mohd Shuhaily has put his CID officers on notice that he’s very serious about cleaning up corruption in their ranks – and his message is still reverberating on social media and among the public. — LOW LAY PHON/The Star
So operations end up failing, but more gravely, the lives of policemen are compromised.
Even informants could be exposed, if such dangerous liaisons exist.
Basically, some in the team are willing to kill each other for money.
This happens because there’s no supervision at the lower levels (contingent and district levels) to monitor the lifestyles of officers and their subordinates.
It’s a chilling revelation. To be corrupt is one thing, but to hear of cops who are prepared to let their colleagues be wiped out is another thing entirely.
Corruption has long been entrenched in the police force, but its extent is beyond the imagination of most Malaysians.
It has been a week since Mohd Shuhaily’s warning during the CID Director’s Mandate Ceremony at Universiti Sains Malaysia.
But the message is still reverberating on social media, with the public talking about it and anticipating what could happen next.
File photo of 14 individuals, including a police station chief and two officers, arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission over a protection racket. The public knows there are corrupt cops but perhaps we don’t realise the extent of the rot. — Filepic/The Star
“How can a sergeant afford an Alphard, Vellfire, or Mercedes? Have their superiors or supervisors ever asked how they can afford luxury vehicles or declared their assets?” Mohd Shuhaily asked.
For Malaysians reading this, we’d be wondering how these policemen could be so brazen as to flaunt their wealth and flashy lifestyles with no fear of retribution?
How can their supervisors be oblivious to their inexplicable wealth unless they close an eye or, worse, are part of the cartel?
A month will be up soon when CID officers hand in their declarations about their assets, and it will be interesting to see what ensues.
The demand is simple – just explain how they can afford luxury vehicles and other items. Their wives have also been ordered to issue separate declarations.
A new order is growing at Bukit Aman as the new team of top officers takes command.
State police officers who have provided false information have found Bukit Aman teams descending upon them and their turf.
These top officers bent on cleaning up are aware that their mission is not going to be easy.
It won’t happen overnight either, and they will face hurdles and sabotage, which could be costly to their careers and even their lives, as their enthusiasm for rehabilitating the force could lead to loneliness and frustration.
They will have to deal with powerful figures who are well-connected and viewed as untouchable. They can only succeed if they, too, have the backing of the top political leadership.
Mohd Shuhaily, who just started work in August, has earned the respect and support of Malaysians.
His directive was officially uploaded by the police for another reason – for the warning to reach every level of the police force and not just the CID.
Without doubt, there are many clean, decent and good cops at all levels.
Mohd Shuhaily seems to have always taken a slightly unusual path – here he is (left) when he was Kuala Lumpur police chief discovering the problems of being blind in the city. — Filepic/Sin Chew
But Mohd Shuhaily also shared about the daily struggles of policemen, saying a constable’s take home pay is merely RM1,500 a month.
He said the moment someone signs up to be a constable, the person would automatically be in the B40 (low income) category.
Urging his CID officers to be more caring, he lambasted some for not even knowing about the welfare of their team members, saying some officers don’t even turn up for work. Some stop going out on operations, claiming to be specialists.
Our cops certainly deserve a better pay structure and perks if we want them to be more financially secure and able to fight corruption and its temptations.
May the force be with you Tuan Razarudin, Ayob Khan and Mohd Shuhaily! God has put you there for a reason.
Be afraid of God because we’re only answerable to Him and not man.
