We’re Gonna Raise the Pay of Our Cops!

Me totally agree and have been say this long time! Do it faster!

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From The Star 25 Mac 2007:

IGP proposes better deal for cops

By LOURDES CHARLES

KUALA LUMPUR: The police want 20% more in basic salary than any government servants so that more and better-qualified people will be keen to join the force, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said. 

He said a new and better scheme of service was needed as the force was undergoing a massive restructuring exercise. 

“This must be done if we want to reduce corruption and also to reach out and provide better delivery to the public. 

Towards a better future: IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan hopes to raise the profile of the police force by having betterqualified personnel. – ABDUL RAHMAN SENIN / The Star

“The restructuring exercise will also see the deployment of additional manpower and logistic support to highly populated and crime-prone districts in the country,” he told The Star in a special interview in conjunction with the 200th year celebration of the police force today. 

He added that he had submitted the proposal to the Public Service Department. 

The current salary of a police constable is RM690 while the starting pay for an officer with the rank of inspector is RM1,100. 

Musa said the other major aspect of the restructuring, aimed at developing a competent and committed force with integrity, involved the intake of recruits, especially for the post of Inspectors and for the rank-and-file. 

He said that, previously, diploma holders could apply for the post of Inspectors. Now, they would only be taken in as Sergeants. 

Previously, degree holders could join as cadet Assistant Superintendents (ASP) but since the abolishment of the cadet ASP rank, degree holders would now only be eligible to apply for the post of Inspectors. 

Musa said the force needed young sergeants who could keep up with the times and would get opportunities to be assistant investigation officers before moving up the ranks. 

“We have also decided to do away with interview-based promotions and will replace it with performance-based promotions. 

“The force needs people who can lead, people who know the job, people who have the experience and who are academically qualified. There is no point in promoting someone who is just academically qualified but has no experience and no leadership qualities,” he said. 

Musa also said the Cabinet had approved the recruitment of 60,000 personnel and the intake exercise was in progress. 

Related Stories:
Locked in a struggle to survive
Q&A with IGP
Tales of the cops of yore
 

Useful Link:
Royal Malaysian Police

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See just how disadvantaged police personnel are compared to money-grabbing robbers. From The Star 25 Mac 2007 again:

Locked in a struggle to survive

By RASHVINJEET S. BEDI

PETALING JAYA: Twenty-seven years ago, a career switch gave him a significant pay rise of 60%. Kpl V. Amathi Sri, 46, was most pleased that quitting his factory job and joining the police force raised his income from RM150 to RM240. 

“That difference (RM90) was considered big money then,” said the father of two – a son, 19, and daughter, 14. 

Modest family: Lans/Kpl Razani having tea with his family at the Petaling Jaya police quarters on Friday. Razani’s wife sells kuih to help make ends meet.

But what he couldn’t foresee was that a factory worker’s salary would, in time, overtake his in the police force. Amathi’s nephew who started work as a general worker in a factory 10 years ago is getting almost twice what Amathi now earns after 27 years in service. 

“My nephew gets a good salary and hospital benefits,” said Amathi, whose wife was forced to stop working a few years ago to look after their daughter. 

»A raise will definitely help not only now, but when I retire. I am very worried« KPL V. AMATHI SRI

Amathi works in general duty, which requires a minimum of 10 hours a day and overnight work for follow-up cases. For this, he receives RM2,122 in salary and allowances.  

From this amount, about RM1,400 is set aside to pay for his children’s education, his car and house. The rest is for daily expenses. 

“We don’t live in luxury, it’s just enough to survive,” said Amathi who stays at the police quarters. 

But his main worry now is how he will support himself and his wife when he retires in nine years. This is because a huge chunk of his pension will go towards monthly payments of RM650 for his house, which is under construction.  

“A raise will definitely help not only now, but when I retire. I’m very worried,” said Amathi who served in Kosovo under the United Nations four years ago.  

Life’s no better for L/Kpl Razani Mohd Noor, 41, who has six children, aged four to 16. After deductions, his take home salary of about RM900 supports five school-going children and pays for his van and daily expenses.  

“It (the pay) is never enough,” said Razani who stays at the police quarters, which has two bedrooms – one each for the male and female members of the family. 

To make ends meet, his wife Salihah Che Saman, 37, makes and sells kuih. On a good day, she makes a profit of RM20. 

“Sometimes we can make ends meet but there are times we can’t. We just see how it goes,” said Razani.  

About 60% of the 95,000 police workforce is in the same salary bracket as Razani.  

Constables, who are mainly SPM-holders, earn below RM1,000.  

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Other Malaysians are also in support of this. From The Star 26 Mac 2007:

Most people say cops deserve a higher salary

PETALING JAYA: The Inspector-General of Police’s proposal for police personnel to receive 20% more in basic salary than any government servant has received the thumbs up from Malaysians of all walks of life. 

Transparency International Malaysia president Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam said most Malaysians would agree that the police are overworked and underpaid. 

“We welcome an increase in salary – especially for those in lower ranks.  

“This would increase their self-respect, dignity and commitment to serve society, which should also care for them in return,” he said. 

Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation vice-president Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye described the move as one that was necessary to enable police personnel to serve better.  

“A policeman does not claim overtime and is always on call. Personally, I feel there is definitely a basis to review the salary of our peacekeepers.  

“In countries such as Singapore and Hong Kong, the officers are more effective because their salary is much higher. 

“Although an attractive salary is not the only factor that defines an effective police force, it is definitely a major contributor,” he said.  

Many members of the public also voiced their support for Musa’s proposal. 

A fitness centre owner, who only wanted to be known as Pramugh, said the police were under-appreciated and deserved the raise. 

“A higher salary would also be a deterrent to corruption,” he added. 

Transportation freelancer Mohd Khairy Said said policemen’s current salary was too little. 

“They should perhaps get a 30% increase. Hopefully, it will stop them from taking bribes,” said the 43-year-old.  

However, a 27-year-old graphic designer who wished to be identified only as Evelyn disagreed.  

“Most of the policemen do not deserve a raise.  

“It remains to be seen whether an increase will actually change their attitudes,” she said.  

Shooting, Hijacking and Kidnap-scare in Johor

More Johor crime shenanigans.

Now they SHOOT before they ask questions! That is scary, because it used to be they only STAB you with a rusty dagger before asking questions.

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From The Star 24 Mac 2007:

Businessman and driver unhurt after being shot at

By FARIK ZOLKEPLI

JOHOR BARU: A businessman and his driver narrowly escaped death after three men shot at them early yesterday. 

The businessman, 35, and his driver had just driven to his house in Bandar Putra, Kulai, at about 6.15am when the men came up from behind and fired four shots. Only one shot hit the back of the car. 

Johor Baru (North) OCPD Asst Comm Ruslan Hassan said police combed the area but the suspects, believed to be in their 20s, had already fled. 

“There were no signs of a break-in at the victim’s home and no valuables were missing. Initial investigations revealed the motive to be either robbery or revenge,” he said.  

In an unrelated case, a lorry driver was taken on a two-hour terror ride after armed men hijacked a tanker carrying RM150,000 worth of lubricant oil yesterday. 

The 35-year-old driver was about to take a nap at the Kulai rest area when he was held up by two men, armed with parangs, at 12.15am.  

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From The Star 24 Mac 2007 again:

Kidnap scam exposed in Johor

By BEH YUEN HUI

JOHOR BARU: Cashing in on fear and gullibility, scam artists continue to con victims via phone calls and SMS. 

While many people have fallen victim to so-called SMS contests, one group has resorted to calling families to say their children have been kidnapped. 

The families later learned it was a hoax.  

In two recent cases, the prospective victims hesitated in paying a “ransom” and their children were saved. 

Johor Baru (South) OCPD Asst Comm Shafie Ismail said on Tuesday a 73-year-old woman received a call at 11.30am informing her that her grandchild had been kidnapped. 

“The caller asked the victim to pay a ransom of RM50,000 within an hour for the release of the 10-year-old girl. 

“The ransom was later reduced to RM30,000 after negotiations,” he said. 

However, before the victim could pay the money, her granddaughter returned home safely from school at about 1pm. 

In the other case, a direct sales agent received a call from a man who claimed to have kidnapped his 10-year-old son. 

“The caller demanded RM30,000 for the release of the boy, failing which, he would chop off the child’s hands and legs,” said ACP Shafie. 

He added that the victim rushed to the son’s school and was relieved to see the boy still in class. 

In another scam, two victims lost their savings after they responded to an SMS that told them they had won a RM15,000 prize in a contest, organised by a major telecommunications company. 

The modus operandi of the con men is to first inform their prospective victim that they had won the money. To claim the prize, however, the victims would have to give their bank account number to the “organiser,” so that the money could be deposited. 

Instead of receiving the prize, the victims later found their money in their accounts had been withdrawn. 

ACP Shafie said a businesswoman was shocked to find that her balance of nearly RM15,000 in her account was missing on Tuesday. 

He said the bank staff told her there had been 20 withdrawals since March 15. 

“The victim then recalled that her daughter had asked for her account number a day earlier, saying she had won a prize and the money would be deposited into her account,” ACP Shafie added.  

Also on Tuesday, a civil servant found RM13,000 from his account missing, about 30 minutes after he responded to the SMS.