Taste for luxury, not low wages, reason some cops take bribes, says Zahid

Yasmin Ramlan Yasmin Ramlan Updated 8 years ago · Published on 20 Nov 2017 1:27PM · 5 Comments

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says the Home Ministry and police constantly make arrangements to provide housing and comfortable workplace conditions for police officers. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, November 19, 2017.

CORRUPTION and abuse of power among police officers has less to do with low wages than the desire for a luxurious lifestyle, said Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in Parliament today.

“A low salary is not the sole factor in police officers’ involvement in activities that lack integrity, such as corruption and abuse of power,” he said in a reply dated November 14.

“The involvement of officers in such cases is due more to their personal desire for a luxurious lifestyle, spending beyond their means, such as buying cars, clothes and furniture that are branded and expensive, leading to an imbalance between their earnings and expenses.”

He said the ministry and police constantly made arrangements to provide housing and comfortable workplace conditions for police officers, on top of reviewing their allowance.

Zahid was responding to Tenom MP Raime Unggi’s request that the ministry review the wage scheme for police officers as a way to combat corruption and abuse of power in the force.

The Home Ministry said a report by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission showed that only 187 cases of officers accepting bribes were reported last year, or 0.15% of the entire police force.

“The government has taken the initiative to improve the wage system, especially for the armed forces and police, by introducing the Sistem Saraan Transformasi, effective January 1, 2013, where the wage grade for the armed forces and police is uniform and compatible with that of other civil service officers,” said Zahid.

He added that Putrajaya also sought to improve the quality of life of police officers by introducing new types of allowance to suit their needs. – November 20, 2017.

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Comments

  • EVERY INDICATOR SAYS MOST POLICE ARE CORRUPT but most of them passively, i.e, they take for doing nothing against prostitution, gambling, drugs..

    Posted 8 years ago by Bigjoe Lam · Reply

  • When big bosses are doing it and getting scott free from any charges why let go the opportunities when it is abundance and readily available. Blame not the low wages or greed but leadership by example.

    Posted 8 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

    • Exactly. If THEY can have the entitled, "aku pun nak" attitude, what do they expect of the lower strata?
      We buy yachts and properties lah but YOU ALL need to learn to live within your means okayyy?

      Posted 8 years ago by Mel M · Reply

  • ...... so said the RM230 millions man (1996) ......

    Posted 8 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply

  • ...... for a start, to reduce corruptions ..... those who intends to have MORE than ONE wife MUST declare their assets and tax returns to MACC ..... why not?

    Posted 8 years ago by Malaysian First · Reply