This interview was conducted with the late Tan Sri Zaman Khan back in April 2021. FocusM is rehashing this piece as a tribute to the veteran cop.
WITH cases of death in custody and abuse of power, a famed retired officer said the Government should consider establishing the Independent Police Complaints of Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to deal with such cases.
“My position is simple. If it’s good for the country, then why not?” asked former Bukit Aman CID chief Tan Sri Zaman Khan, in an interview with FocusM.
The IPCMC idea was mooted by a royal commission of inquiry during the tenure of former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. However, it was shelved as it received stiff opposition from Umno.
When Pakatan Harapan (PH) took over the Federal Government, it tried to establish the commission but the plan fell through after the coalition lost power and was replaced by Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Touching on the matter, Zaman said that it was also equally important for the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) to empower its Integrity and Standards Compliance Department to take on corruption and abuse of power cases, involving men in blue.
“In that way, the force itself can use internal mechanism to deal with corrupt officers. In fact, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) himself relies a lot on the department to keep tabs on the officers.
“Plus, the unit also works closely with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC),” he added.
Train new recruits well
The veteran officer also stressed the need to train new recruit comprehensively, in order to instill a strong sense of loyalty to the country and the people, to prevent them from becoming derelict in their duty.
“All officers, senior and juniors, must be trained well on how to carry themselves. Look at the US and see how they interrogate suspects using regulations in place.
“And senior officers must also show good examples to their juniors,” Zaman stated.
On that note, Zaman urged the police to engage the public more consistently as community support is vital in crime prevention.
Reminiscing the past, he said that in his heydays, a police sergeant would usually be assigned to keep an eye on a certain area and keep tabs with the community there.
“In those days, only a few homes would have telephones in their homes. So, the sergeant will identify those with phone access and keep tabs with them.
“In the event anything happens at the community, the officers and the people there will know which houses have telephone lines, so that they can call for help,” Zaman stated. – Sept 11, 2021
Photo credit: MalaysiaKini
