The call for higher pay for the policemen in the country have hogged the limelight for two days. They featured two policemen who hold degrees being paid only a measly RM650 (more or less) and the big brouhaha that they were so underpaid. One has a law degree and the other, erm, I forget. But anyway, I wondered to myself. If in fact you are being underpaid and you hold a degree, then why dont you just switch jobs? But more importantly, I thought to myself, NO WONDER they feel compelled to take bribes. Those poor sods are so severely underpaid its not even funny!(but then again, they get free housing rite?Still, RM650 is just sad)
Of course I also know that any ah chi and ah kau can apply to be a policeman. Just as long as you are not overweight when you apply to join the force(being overweight after you have joined is not only optional, but quite a requirement) There is no requirement that you genuinely want to uphold the law and protect citizens or that you want to fight crime. Nothing of that sort, just you know, dont be overweight and hopefully, not stupid as well. (though that is highly questionable also)
The question is does a degree guarantee you a higher position in the force? Should it? Just because you got a degree, does that make you a better policeman than the kampung boy who grew up wanting to fight crime but did not have the money to pursue a degree? I am sure it does not. A degree should not be an indicative of how good a policeman you are. It should be based on your experience and of course your work. I believe everyone should work their way up when it comes to the police force. I mean, if its an IT company, a degree holder and a non degree holder will be quite different because one would have the training in university and the other possibly not. But how can a law degree holder be a better police man than say a young constable who has worked in the force for 5 years and with experience of daily interactions with offenders?
So, after all the initial ramblings, this is what I have boiled it down to.
1) The police DO indeed need a raise though it is no excuse to say "we took bribes because we are underpaid." One should join the force for the love of the job, not the money. (The yuppies can say that. Not police officers.)
2) A degree should not matter in the police force. Experience should.
3) Policeman should remain fit no matter how long they have been in the force. Like how do they expect to run after offenders if they cant even bend and touch their toes as their expanding waistline is in the way?
4) The police should be given more credit eventhough at times they might look incompetent but I have indeed met some police officers who are really in the force and truly want to do good. One bad apple shouldnt spoil the whole lot of them.
We have a new IGP now. And after the emotional farewell that he gave the outgoing IGP, we hope he has the same level of emotion and dedication to lead the police force into being better and more efficient. And hopefully all the promises of "I shall fight crime!" is not more than a I-just-got-appointed-I-must-give-canggih-promises gimmick.
We'll just have to see what he is capable of.
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