WE'VE all seen it in movies and TV shows – a dramatic disappearance followed by the statement "You have to wait 24 hours before filing a missing person report."
But is it true that you need to wait a full day before the police will take action?
In real-life situations, time is of the essence, so do you have to wait those nerve-wracking 24 hours?
Verdict:
FALSE
A police report on a missing person must be lodged as soon as possible so that action can be taken.
Kuala Lumpur police chief Comm Datuk Rusdi Mohd Isa said the police contingent always welcomes the public to lodge a report should their family members or friends go missing or if there is a suspicious element behind their sudden absence.
"There is no standard operating procedure (SOP) that states a report could only be lodged after 24 hours.
"We in Kuala Lumpur accept every report as time is of the essence when it comes to missing persons.
"Learning a lesson from Nur Farah Kartini Abdullah's case, after the report was lodged, her body was discovered five days later, and this made it harder for the forensic unit to do its duty.
"Maybe the body could only be intact to be inspected within 24 hours," he told a press conference after witnessing the handing-over ceremony for the Dang Wangi OCPD post on Monday (July 29).
Comm Rusdi said an intact body was important to determine the cause of death and a decomposed body would make it harder for the police.
"Furthermore, reporting a missing person promptly will assist us in... efforts to track them down.
"We must be fast as a person could reach the border within a short time," he said.
Comm Rusdi said he has instructed all police stations and district police headquarters in the city to accept missing person reports without waiting 24 hours.
Previously, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain also said all officers and personnel must accept such reports without waiting 24 hours.
