KUALA LUMPUR: Bukit Aman's warning to police officers who are in cahoots with criminal syndicates will hopefully signal a start of moves to combat corruption in its ranks.

Criminologists and a former police officer said Federal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain's disclosure of police involvement in corruption would have a ripple effect on a force known for practising a "code of silence".

They believed Shuhaily's disclosure highlights a need for greater transparency and accountability in law enforcement to tackle corruption and uphold the rule of law.

Universiti Utara Malaysia School of Applied Psychology, Social Work and Policy senior lecturer and criminologist Dr Zalmizy Hussin said while Shuhaily had taken a crucial first step in combating corruption and restoring public trust, the effectiveness of his words would depend on the response of senior officers.

"Simply using warnings as a basis for improvement overlooks the need for continuous assessment and evaluation of police practices.

"Efforts to boost the police force should involve training, community engagement and implementation of evidence-based strategies that prioritise accountability, transparency and equal treatment for all.

"Failing to take these factors into account may result in incomplete or ineffective reforms."

Zalmizy said the police needed to encourage ethical leadership and accountability, foster community partnerships to gain more insights, implement oversight mechanisms, embrace technology such as body cams, and practise de-escalation techniques to help officers manage challenging situations and reduce the likelihood of excessive use of force.

He said stricter criteria via background checks and psychological evaluations would
ensure qualified people with strong ethics are hired as police officers.

On Friday, Shuhaily admonished police officers who worked with criminal syndicates and warned them to "change or be changed".

He said some officers were willing to risk the lives of their comrades for payments from syndicates by providing false information during operations.

He said this when addressing CID chiefs and CID chiefs from district police headquarters at the CID Director's Mandate Ceremony at Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain had said the police would monitor and conduct "profiling" of officers living lifestyles that did not commensurate with their positions and monthly salaries.

HELP University Institute of Crime and Criminology director Datuk Seri Akhbar Satar said Shuhaily's warning would create a "wave" among police's rank and file because the force had a code of silence where offences by personnel were sometimes swept under the rug.

He said to address this, the force should go through the "top down" approach where senior officers lead by example.

"They should not only be clean but also look clean.

"They must possess a strong ethical character and not be involved in anything illegal.

"Good leaders must hold merit, are bold and have integrity.

"They should also be God-fearing and not Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission-fearing," he said.

Among the ways to promote transparency, he said, was for the officer in charge of a police district to be accountable should there be corruption, and to rotate officers holding sensitive positions every three years.

Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation senior vice-chairman Datuk Seri Ayub Yaakob said the recent warning was directed at syndicates too.

"It shows that the police mean business. It shows that top officers in Bukit Aman are looking into this.

"This should be looked at positively. Nothing wrong in admitting a weakness, but the situation would be more severe if no action is taken."

Ayub said the power to carry out disciplinary action had been taken away from the police and placed under the purview of the Public Service Department.

This, he said, was the reason supervisors or department heads could not take action promptly.

He said the lack of stern warning for the police to declare their assets had contributed to such cases, and he urged for such powers to be placed under the IGP's office.

"We have the Integrity and Standards Compliance Department for this.

"Police have to try to deal with it internally first," said Ayub, who held positions as the Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department's first director and police chief in three states. By Iylia Marsya Iskandar

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2023/10/964592/they-should-be-god-fearing-not-macc-fearing