The country’s top cop Inspector General of Police, Tan Sri Razaruddin Husain did not deny that low salaries and individual attitudes are among the contributing factors to police officers and personnel being involved in corruption.
He said, “I acknowledge that the salary is one of the factors. I take this as an indicator that a constable’s salary includes an allowance of RM2,500 living in Kuala Lumpur; he is (categorised) as urban poor, but, if he lives in Kuala Nerang in Kedah, Besut in Terengganu and Kinabatangan in Sabah or Beluran in Sabah his salary is a lot; that’s one of the factors to be looked at.
Compared with Singapore where the cops there earn low wages and yet do not conduct in corrupt activities, the IGP said the city state is small whereas Malaysia has 137,000 police personnel and the number will increase this year with the entry of another 4,000 officers and personnel.
“If a constable’s salary is low and involved in corruption, then I can give the percentage; we are also familiar with the news when company and agency directors are arrested. Are their salaries low? Therefore, this matter is more about the person’s attitude,” he stressed.
The IGP has been vocal with his men especially on corruption since taking office, he has been adamant on removing the label from the police force has been facing a mountainous task as the virus has been deep rooted in the system. Despite the tough stance, recently a police officer was caught on video offering a foreign couple ‘on the spot’ traffic settlement instead of going to the police station.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar had called on law and order agencies like the MACC to clamp down on corruption both in the public and private sector and not be afraid to go after the big ‘fish’ that has resulted in top names like Tun Daim, Tun Mahathir’s son Mirzan all being probed for alleged illegally gain wealth.
However with the 1MDB case on trial and former Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak receiving a jail term pardon, the question on commitment by the Unity Government shines spotlight on Anwar’s inconsistency.
