The Royal Malaysia Police is under the spotlight. Again. All because of the misconduct of a few men and women in blue.
Some were exposed by the media or non-governmental organisations and some were disclosed by the top management of the police: deaths in custody, excessive use of force, being in cahoots with underworld gangs, corruption and some such activities that bring disrepute to the force.
The latest involves a senior police officer holding the rank of deputy superintendent, who now stands charged with the murder of 17-year-old student Muhammad Zaharif Affendi Muhd Zamrie. Zaharif was killed near SMK Jati in Meru, Ipoh, on Dec 15 when the motorcycle he was riding was hit by a car, allegedly driven by DSP Mohd Nazri Abdul Razak.
A post-mortem conducted at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh found chest and abdomen injuries to have caused the death of Zaharif.
Moments after social media got wind of Zaharif being killed by a car allegedly driven by Nazri, it was a thunderstorm of rage and a hive of speculation. In the world of speculation, which social media is, everything remains a possibility. Fiction often masquerades as fact.
Be that as it may, rightly or wrongly, the Royal Malaysia Police's reputation has taken a hit. Fortunately, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain came out early assuring the public that the fatal hit-and-run case involving a senior police officer would be conducted fairly and transparently.
To his credit, a fair and transparent investigation appears to have been conducted when, on Monday, Nazri was charged with murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which is punishable with death or imprisonment for between 30 and 40 years, with no less than 12 strokes of the rotan upon conviction.
Unfortunately, this spike in public trust was dented when journalists covering Nazri's case complained that the police were giving him special treatment as they were under the impression that they were being prevented from capturing images of the accused as he arrived, unlike other cases.
Deputy Perak police chief Datuk Azizi Mat Aris denied that special treatment was given to Nazri, saying it was "normal procedure" considering the case was of huge public interest.
The IGP has to do more than bring the miscreants in his force to justice. He must make sure that such men and women don't get into the force in the first place.
One miscreant in the police force is one too many. No one is saying that it is an easy job to stop rogue officers from joining the force. Nor is it easy to get them out. But if more energy is invested there, public trust in the Royal Malaysia Police will increase manifold.
A police force that is free of miscreants is not just good for the people, but good for them, too. Miscreants like Nazri are a nightmare for the police force.
Trust us, there will be renewed calls for an independent body to uphold police accountability. This is driven by the belief that the police are not good at policing themselves. But if the police can and do police themselves well, such calls will become irrelevant.
Nazri's case is one example of how the police force can police themselves well, minus the perceived special treatment. More rogue officers must be brought to justice.