Nowadays when we pick up the newspaper we are bound to come across some snatch theft or burglary stories. It does not stop there with other much worse crimes such as kidnappings and murders. These incidents are expected to increase ten folds in the coming days due to the economic downturn currently hitting us. Is it really not safe for us to wander outside our house anymore? What have Malaysia become compared to those good old days whereby we do not even have to lock our main doors. When security is this bad the group that normally comes into criticism is the police force.
There have been many complaints being leveled at the police force these days, ranging from incompetence to being indifferent to the current crisis. Some of these criticisms do seem harsh but when analyzed in a deeper context, they are actually not without merit. The police force’s main responsibility is in fact to protect the rakyat from harm and to uphold security. The police spokesperson always reiterate that they are doing all they can to reduce crime but sometimes action shows more than words alone can. The perfect example is the “Mat Rempit” issue. This problem has been going on for ages and yet it still threatening the safety of our fellow rakyat on the streets. Rather than reducing cases, on the contrary the cases are getting more and more and becoming increasingly violent as well. The rakyat is perplexed on why this happens whereby the menace can actually be eradicated if more roadblocks and spot checks on high-risk areas are enforced. The argument that the police force comes up is insufficient manpower. However, when a peaceful demonstration is staged, the police force can come out with hundreds of personnel in a matter of hours and roadblocks are set up in the blink of an eye. Does this mean that the police force is actually on standby to counter demonstrations rather than eradicating crime? Inadvertently, it also portrays the police force is much more courageous in dealing with people holding candles than thugs swinging crash helmets.
The police force’s image does take a beating nowadays. It is being seen as full of incompetent, insensitive and corrupt personnel. No doubt, it is unfair to pass a general judgment as such for there are dedicated officers in the force that do exist. But sadly as the saying goes, one bad apple will ruin the whole bunch. There are more incidences of bad experience compared to good experience when dealing with the police force. Just ask a man on the street to describe his view on the police force and there is a high possibility the answers obtained will be corrupted, inefficient and wasting public funds. To add insult to injury, the police laughing at victims when they report a crime? Now that’s certainly the icing on the cake.
There have been many complaints being leveled at the police force these days, ranging from incompetence to being indifferent to the current crisis. Some of these criticisms do seem harsh but when analyzed in a deeper context, they are actually not without merit. The police force’s main responsibility is in fact to protect the rakyat from harm and to uphold security. The police spokesperson always reiterate that they are doing all they can to reduce crime but sometimes action shows more than words alone can. The perfect example is the “Mat Rempit” issue. This problem has been going on for ages and yet it still threatening the safety of our fellow rakyat on the streets. Rather than reducing cases, on the contrary the cases are getting more and more and becoming increasingly violent as well. The rakyat is perplexed on why this happens whereby the menace can actually be eradicated if more roadblocks and spot checks on high-risk areas are enforced. The argument that the police force comes up is insufficient manpower. However, when a peaceful demonstration is staged, the police force can come out with hundreds of personnel in a matter of hours and roadblocks are set up in the blink of an eye. Does this mean that the police force is actually on standby to counter demonstrations rather than eradicating crime? Inadvertently, it also portrays the police force is much more courageous in dealing with people holding candles than thugs swinging crash helmets.
The police force’s image does take a beating nowadays. It is being seen as full of incompetent, insensitive and corrupt personnel. No doubt, it is unfair to pass a general judgment as such for there are dedicated officers in the force that do exist. But sadly as the saying goes, one bad apple will ruin the whole bunch. There are more incidences of bad experience compared to good experience when dealing with the police force. Just ask a man on the street to describe his view on the police force and there is a high possibility the answers obtained will be corrupted, inefficient and wasting public funds. To add insult to injury, the police laughing at victims when they report a crime? Now that’s certainly the icing on the cake.
Words alone are not enough to convince the rakyat that the police is revamping itself to be a much leaner force in tackling crimes. It must show that it is in fact doing so by starting to take tough actions on corrupted officers, handle public complaints effectively and eradicate the “Mat Rempit” menace once and for all. It is easy for the police to ask the rakyat to chip in and help the police to control crime, but the police must show that it is behind the rakyat all the way because for one, no one in his right frame of mind will confront a “Mat Rempit” without knowing he has sufficient backup.
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