MP SPEAKS | Hire more cops, keep police stations open

MP SPEAKS | The government should provide emergency allocation to recruit an additional four police personnel for each of the country’s 837 police stations, a total of 3,348 extra police personnel to keep the gates of our police stations open.

Ever since Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced in Parliament that the gates of police stations in remote and rural areas would be closed after 10pm, certain irresponsible quarters have taken advantage to laugh at the police by twisting the minister’s remarks to closing police stations after 10pm.

Saifuddin explained that the closing of gates at police stations was a necessary security measure following a terrorist attack by extremists on the Ulu Tiram police station in Johor that cost the lives of two police personnel.

Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain has assured the public that the police will continue to provide services as usual even though police stations were instructed to close their gates after 10pm.

What is most regrettable is that MCA leaders have used the opportunity to heap scorn, ridicule, and contempt in equal measure at Saifuddin and the police, completely ignoring the important role played by our police who put their lives at risk to prevent crime and keep Malaysians safe.

Unfortunately, such scorn, ridicule, and contempt has gained traction, with some questioning why public hospitals and convenience stores can keep their gates open 24 hours a day but not police stations when they are supposed to keep us safe from criminals?

“How can police keep us safe if they cannot even keep their police stations safe?” is a common refrain heard after the scurrilous attacks by MCA.

Filling the ranks

To prevent the police and Saifuddin from being unfairly targeted as objects of derision, more police personnel should be recruited to guard police stations to allow the gates at police stations to remain open.

There should be emergency funding by the government for an additional four police personnel, with three police personnel taking turns to guard police stations and one more as backup, for each of the nation’s 837 police stations.  

The extra 3,348 police personnel would be in addition to the current total of 134,978 police personnel and officers nationwide.

Even the current number of police personnel is insufficient, with a reported shortage of 4,940 positions. Should the shortage be filled and the extra 3,348 police personnel recruited to keep the gates of our police stations open, the police force would increase to 143,266 in number.

Such an increase in funding for more police personnel would be supported by the public who want to see their homes and streets safe and secure from criminals.

LIM GUAN ENG is Bagan MP.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.