On the matter of the welfare of CID personnel and officers, Comm Mohd Shuhaily says he is thankful that the issue of meagre salaries of police personnel has been addressed in Parliament. — YAP CHEE HONG/The Star
ASSET declaration for sensitive posts in the CID will begin as soon as possible, but starting next year, everyone in the department will be required to do so.
“I will start with the sensitive posts such as those in D7 and district CID chiefs. By next year, we can start fresh and all (in the CID) must do so.
“I came (became director) in August so that is ample time for my men to understand me,” says Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain.
The Bukit Aman CID director says he is not looking for anyone’s weaknesses but instead he is prioritising integrity in the department.
“I’m just asking you to declare. If you really can afford it, prove you are living within your means “Everything must make sense,” he says.
If there are any additional assets, the personnel and officers involved must declare them, Comm Mohd Shuhaily stresses.
“Excuses such as didn’t know you have to declare or didn’t know assets of spouses must be declared as well, will not be accepted.
“Come on, how long have you been working....”
If there is any discrepancy, those involved will be referred to the Integrity and Standards Compliance Department (JIPS), he adds.
“Nothing will be swept under the rug, in fact, if there is a need for JIPS to investigate further, I will tell them please do so. Any insensible declaration will be probed.”
On the matter of the welfare of CID personnel and officers, Comm Mohd Shuhaily says he is thankful that the issue of meagre salaries of police personnel has been addressed in Parliament.
“Raising the salary is part of the solution but will it solve corruption?
“It is my personal view that it does not solve the problem as prices of goods also go up, thus that is why the respective state CID chiefs must help their subordinates in any capacity that they can.
“For example, if a policeman has a gifted child who gets 8As but they do not know how to enrol the child into a boarding school, for sure the state CID chief would have his network of contacts, like in the district or state education board ... so help these cases,” he says.
Comm Mohd Shuhaily said it is state CID chiefs who should go all out in helping their subordinates.
“Please use your capacity [as CID chief] to help your people. I have done this in Penang for my men.
“In Penang I choked up during an event when my officers came to me and I see that some do not have much. A child who came was wearing only what they could afford. This reminded me of my parents as well. This is how much my officers are suffering on the ground, and yet they work 24/7.
“At that level we do not have enough people so there are times one person will finish an afternoon shift but at night they are on roll call. They continue on until 12am, then the following day they are on guard duty.
“They work more than eight hours a day. There’s no overtime. If there is, the police would be rich,” he laments.
High cost of living with their meagre salaries has also prompted many who live in small towns and kampung to refuse to be transferred.
“That’s why when we go to interview them, they decline. They don’t have that much but staying there [in kampungs] they can rear livestock, go fish, plant vegetables. If they come to Kuala Lumpur you can’t do this,” he says.
He shares what an officer who is renting a room in KL told him recently.
“I asked him where he was staying, and he said he was just renting a room. He is paying RM300 a month and he is sharing that with a friend. So actually the rent is RM600 and the room is shared between two people. That is crazy.
“Compared with those working in villages, where their children can go to school by bicycle and the personnel work at a small station and have time to take care of your family,” he points out.
He also reminds his senior officers to be mindful of the welfare of their subordinates.
“They must be considerate to the plight of their personnel.
“ You are a leader of human beings, not robots but work must be done. Rules must be followed,” he says.
