KUALA LUMPUR: Newly-appointed Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Datuk Seri Fuzi Harun will face various challenges in leading the police force amidst the country’s current situation, said Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) president Datuk Akhbar Satar.
In a statement today, Akhbar pointed out that despite having been successful in reducing the crime index and crippling gangster organisations – as highlighted by Pemandu’s Reducing Crime National Key Result Areas’ (NKRA) director Datuk Dr Amin Khan – the police force is viewed by the public as the most corrupt public institution, as revealed in the 2017 TI-M Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) survey.
Akhbar highlighted several areas requiring Fuzi's full and immediate attention and consideration, including gaining the public’s trust and respect by creating a good example and being “whiter than white.”
"To gain the public’s trust, the new IGP in his first press announcement, should promise to clean up the police force of corrupt practices and aggressively seek to get rid of bad apples who abuse their authority or tarnish the department's reputation," Akhbar said.
He said that Fuzi should also be stern and act without fear or favour, regardless of who criminal suspects are and what their political affiliations may be.
"Nobody must be allowed to act above the law.
"(He must) keep politics out of policing and there should be no political inference in the police administration," he said.
Akhbar added that Fuzi should also continue and extend community policing, based on latest evidence and findings, and start a diplomatic outreach approach which provides and encourages a respectful open forum for dialogue to reduce crime, uphold justice, and improve safety in the country.
He also urged the government to consider increasing the budget allocation for the police force in order to provide good infrastructure and facilities, as well as to ensure the welfare of officers.
Fuzi, who was the Special Branch director, was named the new IGP effective today, following Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar's retirement upon turning 60 tomorrow.