Low salary not an excuse for taking bribes
KLANG – Low salary should not be an excuse for taking bribes, said Malaysia’s Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Razarudin Husain, but it is the attitude of a person that will ultimately determine whether he or she becomes corrupt or prone to misconduct in the line of duty.
However, he said he could not deny that low pay was among the factors.
“We can take, for example, a police constable’s pay. With basic salary and allowances, one takes home only RM2,500 (S$706) a month.
“In Kuala Lumpur, these rank-and-file personnel are considered urban poor, but in the rural areas such as Kuala Nerang, Besut, Kinabatangan, Belaga and Beluran, such an income is considered high,” he told reporters after a walkabout at the Pandamaran market on Feb 4.
Mr Razarudin added that no matter what, this should not be used as an excuse for corrupt practices.
“We can see in the news that there are also company directors caught (for corruption). Are they low-income earners?” he asked.
Mr Razarudin said there is a need to nurture young personnel and teach them to reject corruption. “Otherwise this may lead to the public hiring more private security to replace the police,” he said.
He added that the police’s integrity and standards compliance department is tasked with overseeing conduct and discipline, taking action against errant personnel while correcting those who show tendencies for misconduct.
Responding to Mr Razarudin’s statement, Alliance For A Safe Community chairman Lee Lam Thye suggested that a special allowance be given to those who serve in the cities.
Said Tan Sri Lee: “The IGP said a constable earns RM2,500 a month. It’s tough to survive with such an income in the big cities. The government needs to look into the salaries of these personnel from time to time to ensure that their pay is sensible.”
Mr Lee said the government bears the responsibility of ensuring that policemen get decent wages and are able to cope with the rising cost of living.
Apart from this, he said those who wished to join the force must know that it is not a job with a lucrative income.
“They must first know what they are getting into and understand that (although) it is not a high-paying job, it is a noble and honourable one,” he added.
He said the police force must inculcate values and traits such as honesty, integrity and discipline in new recruits at all stages of their training.
“These new recruits must know that they are entering an honourable profession in serving the country, and that they will be subject to making sacrifices for the greater good of the nation,” he added.
Mr Lee said it is easy to blame low salary as the cause of corruption, when the root of evil is, in fact, greed.
Malaysians Against Rape, Assault and Snatch Theft founder Dave Avran said it all boils down to a person giving in to the temptation of easy money and abuse of authority.
He said the police should not take all the blame.
“This is a case of a willing buyer and willing seller,” he said, adding that the person who offers or pays a bribe is equally complicit in corruption. – THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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