I REFER to the report “Chief Secretary to review proposal to relax dress code at govt frontline services” (The Star, Dec 10).
The report quoted Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil as saying that Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting proposed that several frontline services, including police stations and other government premises, be exempted from the Chief Secretary to the Government’s circular dated Dec 1, 2020.
He also said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is of the view that on security issues involving police stations, there should be no circumstances that prevent the public from making a police report.
The Prime Minister’s view is consistent with the law.
Section 107(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) states that a police officer is “duty bound to receive any information in relation to any offence committed anywhere in Malaysia”.
The word “offence” means any act or omission made punishable by any law for the time being in force (Section 2, CPC).
Section 107(3)(a) states: “Notwithstanding subsection (1), information given by a person relating to the commission of an offence to a police officer, who at the time of receiving the information is not in a police station, shall be deemed to be received at a police station.”
The law is simply this: a police report need not be made in a police station. It can be made outside of a police station as long as it is made to a police officer.
Under Section 107(3)(b), a “police officer receiving such information under paragraph (a) where practicable shall record or cause to be recorded the name and address of the informant, the date and time of the receipt of such information, and shall convey such information to an officer in charge of a police station or any police officer whose duty is to receive such information.”
And under Section 107(3)(c), “Such information shall be reduced to writing and entered in a book in accordance with subsections (1) and (2) and shall subsequently be signed by the person who gave the information.”
So, if the informant – a member of the public – can’t step into a police station to make a report for whatever reason, the police must step out to take the report.
To reiterate, the police are duty bound to receive information in relation to any offence committed anywhere in Malaysia.
HAFIZ HASSAN
Bukit Baru, Melaka
