IPOH, Feb 17 — Approximately 1,404 police officers were subjected to disciplinary action last year, said Bukit Aman Department of Integrity and Standards Compliance director Datuk Seri Azri Ahmad.
Of the total, 799 were issued warnings, 256 were fined, 164 were dismissed, 122 had their emoluments forfeited, 32 were demoted, 16 had their salaries withheld, and 15 faced salary cuts.
“Although the figure represents just one per cent of the total number of police personnel in the country, efforts to address their conduct are ongoing.
“Punishment is not only based on court convictions but also on things like being absent from duty, violating standard operating procedures, and other offences,” he said.
Azri was speaking at a press conference after witnessing the handover of duties for the Perak police chief and the chairman of the Perak Police Family Association (PERKEP) at the Senior Police Officer's Mess along Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah today.
He added that the dismissal of police officers was not solely linked to corruption, narcotics, and commercial crimes, but also to issues involving integrity and governance.
Dismissal actions were also taken following the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Regulations 1993.
In the meantime, Azri denied that most cases of police misconduct were handled based on reports or evidence uncovered by certain news portals.
“Reports from these portals are often baseless and mostly just accusations without any details of the complaint.
“We have investigated complaints based on these reports, but when they reached the next stage, the cases were dropped. From there, we could see that it was a waste of time and energy,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pahang deputy police chief DCP Datuk Noor Hisam Nordin has been appointed as the Perak police chief effective today.
Hisam, 58, takes over from Perak deputy police chief DCP Zulkafli Saariat, who has served as the acting Perak police chief since November 8 last year.
At the same ceremony, his wife Datin Noormawati Abdul Latip assumed the role of PERKEP Chairman from Zulkafli’s wife Zaleta Ibrahim.
In his speech, Hisam said that he would carry out the responsibility entrusted to him with dedication, ensuring the safety of the people remained at the highest level.
With 36 years of experience in policing, the Sungai Siput native hopes that all police officers and members in Perak will work together to ensure the matter remains a top priority.
— Bernama
