PDRM not tool of any party - IGP

KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is not an institution that fights only for certain political ideas and can be used by any party at whim, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador.

Abdul Hamid, who has served as the IGP under two prime ministers after being appointed in May 2019, said that the police had never received any pressure in carrying out duties and implementing changes in the team.

“I am free to take actions such as righting wrongs in the team with the revamp of PDRM so that the government will also get a good name. When the government gets a dynamic police force and does not (practice) corruption, this will benefit the government and the public,” he told Bernama recently.

Abdul Hamid said that his actions in bringing about change in the team, including fighting for issues related to malpractice, drugs and misconduct within the force, were proof that they were transparent in fighting crime in the country.

He said that the move would indirectly restore the community’s trust in the police force, which was previously alleged to be easily used by certain parties.

“I don't want a team that doesn't change, insinuating that the law can be compromised. For example, drugs, mobile phones and cigarettes can be brought into the lockup as well as allowing rape incidents in the lockup; this could cause fear in the community.

“I want to gain the trust and respect (of the community). That is why I want to prove the police's full commitment to carrying out the responsibilities and trust given to them,” he said.

Previously, there were allegations that several agencies in the government such as PDRM, the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) and the Malaysian Anti -Corruption Commission were used as 'political weapons' to conduct selective investigations with the objective of taking action against opposition political leaders.

Meanwhile, on hacking threats, Abdul Hamid said that the police were always in a state of readiness to face any form of possible intrusion, especially through websites.

“There are groups (hacking government websites) that we have identified and have also been prosecuted. Our investigation found that they did such things for fun, boasting that they were good,” he said.

He stressed that thus far the recent attacks on government websites have not shown their actions were for hacking government systems and revealing secrets for the benefit of other powers.

-- BERNAMA