KUALA LUMPUR – The public has every right to lodge reports on misconduct involving any police officer, himself included, said top cop Tan Sri Razarudin Husain.
“We do not condone misconduct among our officers and the rakyat has the right to lodge reports. So please lodge your reports and let us investigate the matter fairly, even if it involves a police officer.”
Meanwhile, the inspector-general admitted that low salaries are one of the factors leading them to take bribes.
“I admit that corruption among officers stems from low salaries. If we compare a police officer’s salary in Singapore, it is much higher (than offered here), so there’s no bribery in that country.
“A constable’s salary includes an allowance of RM2,500 in Kuala Lumpur; he is (categorised) as urban poor, but if he lives in Kuala Nerang (Kedah), Besut (Terengganu), Kinabatangan (Sabah) or Beluran (Sabah) his salary is a lot.
“It is still up to the officer whether he wants to take a bribe. But I believe advocating for no-bribery policies will curb this issue.
“We don’t want the rakyat to have the perception that police presence serves no purpose.”
He said this during a walkabout in Pandamaran, where he was accompanied by Deputy IGP Datuk Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay and Selangor police chief Datuk Hussein Omar Khan, among others.
Razarudin also said the force has to take many factors into consideration before terminating a police officer who is involved in misconduct.
“The government has invested in a police officer, from the first day of training to where the officer is now. It is not easy to terminate, especially if the officer has been in the force for 15 years or more.
“But every month, we transfer officers, hold discussions and so on, as part of our efforts to curb misconduct.
“It is also up to the officers’ supervisors, including me. So, the supervisors need to play an active part in ensuring their subordinates toe the line.”
According to the Singapore Police Force website, the starting salary ranges from SG$4,850 to SG$5,600 (RM17,022.45 to RM19,654.79), where it will vary according to assessment of academic qualifications, relevant work experience and completion of full-time National Service.
Razarudin, last year, had proposed a starting salary scheme for constables, which starts with RM1,441 monthly, to be increased to RM1,500.
Recently, bribery among officers made headlines, such as the British road-tripping couple with the popular @TREADtheglobe social media account who settled their alleged speeding offence on the spot with a RM100 payment – an incident captured on video that has since gone viral.
Another case was a foreign tourist alleging that he paid RM100 to avoid being taken to a police station and summoned for not wearing a helmet on Langkawi. – February 4, 2024