The government should provide emergency allocation to recruit an additional 4 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 Senator Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced in Parliament that the gates of police stations in remote and rural areas will be closed after 10pm, certain irresponsible quarters have taken advantage to laugh at the police by twisting Saifuddin’s remarks to closing of police stations after 10 pm
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 the Saifuddin and the police, completely ignoring the important role played by our policemen putting 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 police 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.
To avoid the police and Saifuddin from being unfairly targeted as an object 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 additional to the current total of 134,978 police personnel and officers nationwide. Even the present 134,978 police personnel are insufficient with a reported shortage at the police stations of 4,940 police personnel. Should the shortage of 4,940 police personnel 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 police personnel.
Such an increase in funding for more police personnel would be supported by the public who wants to see their homes and streets safe and secure from criminals.