Arrest, charge and try 'dirty cops' in the same way as other persons in Malaysia. Art 8 - Equality and Equal Protection of the Law should apply to ALL

Like UMNO, it seems that the Malaysian police is also above the law....maybe not the correct phrase. It seems that the law for every other person just do not apply to the Malaysian police.

When there is evidence of them being corrupt, they may not get arrested, detained, charged in court, tried and sentenced if found guilty. (Apparently, there is a 'secret' procedure that takes place and if found 'guilty', they only get warned, fined, sacked...and if there is insufficient evidence, they just get sacked..is this not a violation of the Federal Constitution - Article 8 of the Federal Constitution guarantees that all persons are equal before the law and entitled to the equal protection of the law). I say secret because the public may not be aware of the fact that this or that 'corrupt' cop is being investigated and what happens... The 'secrecy' also may not serve as a deterrent ...or as motivation for others to provide evidence/complaints about other corrupt cops.

I am still waiting for the police (or MACC) to charge that UMNO big-wig who was found 'guilty' of money politics (i.e. corruption, in my books), so guilty that he was disallowed from continuing his quest to become a top leader of UMNO....

There is less corruption in the police force now, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission statistics from 2000 to May 2009 made available to the New Sunday Times show that in the last three years, arrests of policemen by the MACC decreased from 158 in 2006 to 117 last year.

In the first five months of this year, only 46 arrests have been made. In the last 10 years, 942 policemen were arrested. Of the number, 225 have been charged, and 250 are awaiting charges.

In addition, 227 policemen, who could not be taken to court due to insufficient evidence, were referred to the police disciplinary division and sacked.

There was a dramatic peak in 2006, with 158 arrests, up from 56 the previous year.

“In 2006 it went up because at that time I encouraged whistle-blowers,” said Musa, whose contract has been renewed for one year from Sept 13.

Up till then, the arrest figures had been declining. But after 2006, the number fell again.

He said the second decline was due to a drop in corruption among policemen.

“There are black sheep in any organisation, but we don’t want bad hats in the force. We want to clean our house.”

However, corruption is but one element of a lack of integrity.

From 2002 to May this year 2009, there were 7,157 cases of disciplinary offences involving policemen.

A total of 3,300 of these concerned insubordination and irresponsibility accounted for 2,126 cases.

More serious offences like subordinating public duty to private interest and using public position for personal interest were fewer in number (24 and 115 respectively).

Of these, 7,157 cases that went up to the disciplinary division, 7,136 have been dealt with.

A total of 3,600 policemen were warned, 2,305 fined, and 440 sacked.

The remainder received penalties ranging from forfeiture of emoluments to a reduction in rank. Only 217 were absolved of wrongdoing.

Former Transparency International Malaysia president Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said:of the figures, “Statistics are statistics. It’s a question of interpretation.

“Even if the statistics show an improvement, the public’s perception has not improved.

“Although it takes two hands to clap, the people in authority have got to exercise greater integrity because they hold the public’s trust.”

The adviser to the Selangor Crime Prevention Foundation said: said the people’s perception of the police being selective in nature did not help bolster build up the image of public confidence in them.

“Sometimes, the police take very heavy-handed action; sometimes they take only light action and sometimes they just stand by watching and do nothing.”

He said with the extension to the IGP’s contract, Musa hads the “golden opportunity to be tough and crack the whip”.

“I hope Musa will be able to give the final blow to knocking down the crime rate.”

He said to show their commitment to keeping a clean police force, all top police officers should declare their assets and liabilities every year.

The declaration should either be done publicly , or confidentially to a body of eminent persons.

Further declarations should also be made as and when an officer acquired an asset or liability.

“The best way to get the ball rolling is for the IGP himself to come out and declare his assets and liabilities.,” said Navaratnam.

“If subordinates know their leader is tolerates ant of corruption, they will take the risk of being corrupt.

“But if the subordinates know their leader is intolerant of corruption, they will not dare to be corrupt.” - New Straits Times, 6/9/2009, ‘Dirty’ cops feel the heat