Policing in a pandemic

ACP Mohamad Farouk believes that local communities can play a huge role in curbing and preventing crime. -- AZMAN GHANI/The Star

OCT 14, 2020, was not the best day to start a new job as it was in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, but Asst Comm (ACP) Mohamad Farouk Eshak took it in his stride when he began his tenure as the Ampang Jaya OCPD on that day.

He sits down with Sunday Star to share his experiences from almost two years of leading the district’s police force and how he is prioritising engagement with the community to make Ampang Jaya, Selangor, safer.

Early days

ACP Mohamad Farouk began his service in the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) on Jan 1, 1997.

He’s had a varied career in his 25 years on the force, serving in various departments, including the Narcotics Crime Investigation Department, the Management Department as well as doing a stint as assistant director at the Integrity and Standard Compliance Department.

His wide-ranging education probably helped in those different positions – he has a Bachelor in Management from Universiti Sains Malaysia, a diploma in psychology from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and a Masters in Human Resource Development from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

All of it has culminated in preparing ACP Mohamad Farouk to manage his team well at Ampang Jaya police headquarters.

“I learnt a lot serving in various departments and it helped me overcome certain weaknesses in managing the district police.

“PDRM leadership also stresses multitasking among officers and personnel to ensure the best service for society,” he says.

He has not been shy about learning from other experienced officers either.

“I acquired knowledge from other experienced officers as I have had to face various challenges including natural disasters,” he says of his work at Ampang Jaya HQ.

Starting at his patch

His new job was challenging to say the least.

“We can say it was a trial by fire starting as the OCPD in the midst of the pandemic!” he says solemnly as he recalls his early days in Ampang Jaya.

“It was a whole different experience compared with the time prior to the movement control order (MCO). We had to ensure that people understood and adhered to the laws throughout the MCO,” he says.

While the reduction in the crime index was significant during the pandemic, there were new concerns the ACP had to handle.

“Police officers and personnel were exposed to Covid-19 while performing their duties and managing detainees.

“It was a trying time but we managed to get through it,” he says.

Cooperation the key

One of his major focuses was to improve police service to the people and to restructure the force in the district to support that.

“I have to manage human resources in terms of deployment and service to the people while improving crime prevention and increasing patrols to curb crime in the district,” he explains.

“We faced challenges in curbing criminal activities in highly populated areas but we have been able to overcome it. We have no problem in terms of police investigation leading to the prosecution of the suspect,” he adds.ACP Mohamad Farouk believes in cooperation to combat crime and works closely with neighbouring district headquarters in Selangor, such as Cheras, Wangsa Maju and Gombak.

“All three OCPDs are great at offering cooperation to curb crime and apprehend suspects.

“Combating crime is a collaborative effort,” he stresses.

A people person

The ACP also believes that local communities can play a huge role in curbing and preventing crime, which is one reason he encourages his people to reach out to the public through the “Polis Daerah Ampang Jaya” Facebook page.

“The people can channel information on criminal activities through the Facebook page, which was established to enable two-way communication between the police and community.

“I monitor the information given by the people every day,” he adds.

The district force also forged close ties with the Ampang Jaya neighbourhood watch (Kawasan Rukun Tetangga, KRT), he says.

“The KRT has assisted us a lot in curbing crime and conducting voluntary patrols, playing a part in reducing the crime index in Ampang Jaya.

“The crime index here has shown a 23.83% reduction, or 229 fewer cases, between January and September compared with last year,” he points out.

He also increased the police presence in the district by deploying the mobile patrol vehicle (MPV) unit more frequently.

“I instructed the MPV unit to increase its patrols with strobe lights switched on.

“We want to ensure the people know that the police are always around to deter any crime,” he says.

Unforgettable experiences

One of ACP Mohamad Farouk’s most memorable experiences in his district was the helicopter crash in Taman Melawati on Nov 8, 2020.

“I had just assumed the duty as OCPD barely three weeks before when the incident occurred, and it was the biggest incident by far.

“It was an unforgettable experience as we had to ensure help got to the victims and manage the crash site too,” he says.

The 11.50am incident involved two helicopters that collided during a training flight after departing Subang Airport. One of the helicopters crashed while the other managed an emergency landing at SJKT Taman Melawati. Two men were killed while two others were unharmed.

Another incident that is etched into the ACP’s memory is the Taman Bukit Permai landslide on March 10 this year.

“It is definitely a challenge dealing with natural disasters as it usually involves various agencies but as the ground commander in that incident, I had to ensure that the search and rescue operation ran smoothly.

“Search and rescue was the priority, of course. Thankfully, all agencies involved gave good support, with each performing its role well during the operation,” he recalls.

On March 10, three houses were buried while 15 other houses were affected by a landslide in Taman Bukit Permai, which also damaged 10 vehicles. The incident killed four people, including a woman and an Air Selangor staff member.

ACP Mohamad Farouk recalls another incident that has stuck in his mind: the enhanced MCO imposed on Pangsapuri Merpati (A) Pandan Indah from July 19 to July 31, 2021.

“We had to ensure that all residents adhered to the enhanced MCO standard operating procedures. At the same time, we had to monitor and ensure the wellbeing of the residents throughout the period,” he says of that tense period.

Hopes for the future

In laying the groundwork for a better force, ACP Mohamad Farouk says he is firm about taking action against police personnel and officers in the district on matters of integrity.

“I have to be firm in taking disciplinary action, but not on the basis of victimising them. Instead, such actions are meant to save them and be a lesson for other police personnel ... so that all of them know what not to do,” he explains.

He begins with a warning, and if that goes unheeded, disciplinary action is taken.

He’s satisfied with the improvements he is seeing at Ampang Jaya HQ but he’s not going to rest on his laurels – and reminds his people not to, either.

“I hope that they can maintain, in fact improve on their professionalism further in giving the best service to society.

“I hope the frontliners at Ampang Jaya have the right knowledge and that they are always professional in carrying out their duties,” he says, adding proudly, “We are heading towards a world-class police force.”