KUCHING: Outgoing Sarawak police commissioner Comm Datuk Mohamad Zainal Abdullah leaves his home state to take up his appointment as Bukit Aman management director with one regret.
"I didn't have the time to visit my men in the various districts," Mohamad Zainal said when handing over duties to his deputy, Dep Comm Saifullizan Ishak, on Thursday (Oct 1).
Saifullizan will serve as acting Sarawak police commissioner until a permanent successor is officially appointed.
Appointed state police chief on Sept 26 last year, Mohamad Zainal noted that "one year and five days" was insufficient to visit personnel across Malaysia's largest police contingent.
"Considering the Sarawak contingent spans an area as large as Peninsular Malaysia at 124,000 sq km, it was practically impossible for me to visit every single district within a single year," he said.
He explained that even maintaining a schedule of visiting two districts monthly would not have allowed full coverage within twelve months.
Mohamad Zainal admitted he had anticipated serving at least two years in the role, though frequent transfers had become a regular feature of his career.
He noted that his shortest stint remained his two months as deputy Jerantut district police chief, followed by eight months as Rompin district police chief.
He added that he had advised his wife, a lecturer at the Aminuddin Baki Institute in Genting Highlands, against requesting a transfer to Sarawak.
Mohamad Zainal succeeds Datuk Seri Abdul Aziz Abdul Majid, who was recently appointed Deputy Inspector-General of Police.
Abdul Aziz witnessed the handover ceremony at the officers' mess in the state police headquarters.
