Racism: No ifs, no buts

COMMENT It doesn’t matter if someone is a polyglot, bi-lingual or can barely string two words together. However, it does matter if the person who wants to lodge a report at the police station, is subject to racial abuse from those who are supposed to uphold the law - the policeman.

A policeman from the Sentul district police headquarters allegedly told Loh See Moi, a snatch-theft victim, “Jika tak tahu cakap Bahasa Melayu, balik China” (go back to China if you can’t speak Bahasa Malaysia).

Loh a 51-year-old housewife from Selayang subsequently reported the policeman who made the racist remark. The inspector, who is in his 30s, is attached to the Criminal Investigation Depart ment. He has been relieved of his duties pending investigations and is now handling administrative work.

This inspector has not upheld the standards of service that we all expect from our police force. He has let himself down, his colleagues down and the public down. He is a disgrace to the force.

City police chief DCP Muhammad Sabtu Osman has urged the public to lodge a report or complaint with their respective district police chiefs if they encountered problems with policemen or officers.

He said, “I will be very disappointed if the allegations against my officer are true. We will investigate the matter thoroughly’’.

He is right to act promptly. The behaviour of his officer is unacceptable. Racism is to be condemned wherever it is found. Recently Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak announced a “zero tolerance” on racism and that “swift action would be taken against those who make racial slurs”.

Was the inspector unaware of the PM’s ‘zero tolerance’ policy? Did the message not filter down from the top brass?

This inspector was stupid to make his remarks when the nation is still reeling from the two headmistresses who have opened raw wounds about ethnicity and origins.

In her report, Loh said she had gone to the Kepong police station accompanied by her daughter Fong Ay Lian, to lodge a report following a snatch theft. She said that at the inspector’s office, her daughter spoke to him in English but he refused to entertain her as she was not the complainant. As Loh began to relate her ordeal in English, the inspector made the remark. Loh then asked him in Bahasa Malaysia why he made the remark, saying that she was a Malaysian.

Anyone who has been a victim of a snatch-theft knows what it is like to be left ‘numb and in shock’. It is natural for Loh’s daughter to initially make the police report on her behalf. Loh was probably too distressed to speak and may not have been in the right frame of mind. (Incidentally, I know of snatch-theft victims who are so traumatised that they cannot leave the safety of their homes, months after the incident.)

It is possible that Loh felt more comfortable in English. When the inspector became abusive Loh was right to make a police report about him. I would have done too.

If all police reports need to be in Malay, then the inspector should have been civil about it, and told Loh, but not resort to racist remarks.

Similarly if he did not understand English, then he should have said so nicely. As a front-line person who has to deal with the public, he lacks ‘people-skills’.

Haven’t we observed this lack of courtesy and civility in our everyday lives, not just in the police, or other government departments but also in private companies?

People kow-tow to Datuks and Tan Sris and have forgotten to be nice to ‘normal’ people. This deference to titled people or their own ‘member’ or pals, is a sickening trait in our society.

However, I digress.

Having made her police report about the racist police inspector, a team from Bukit Aman went to Loh’s home to record a statement on her complaint. Loh was however summoned again on another day, to give an additional statement.

Is Loh being subjected to a subtle form of intimidation with these several statements to different officers?

Nevertheless, what would have happened if Loh had been a tourist from the Republic of China, or Taiwan, maybe even an Australian Chinese or Canadian of Chinese extraction, who wanted to make a police report? They might not have spoken Malay.

The PDRM and the Home Ministry would then be investigating both a ‘rude inspector’ and nursing a diplomatic incident. Maybe, compassion, courtesy and common-sense should be included in the police training manual.

Moreover, what would the inspector say to a Thai, Myanmar or Filipino national who looks like a Malay but cannot speak Malay? Would he have been as abusive?

This incident would never have happened if the inspector had exercised some common sense to begin with. His shortsightedness has resulted in a blot on his service record.

The PDRM have enough on their plate with several deaths in custody, accusations of ‘shoot first, ask questions later’, preferential treatment being given to various people, being distracted with NGOs who make countless police reports when aggrieved and now, a charge of racism.

Heavy-handed police behaviour undermines public confidence in the PDRM and someone needs to get a grip on the culture that fosters it.

Racism is deeply entrenched in our society and sadly, our senior politicians do not lead by example so that when racist acts go unpunished or take a long time to be resolved, the public remains sceptical about ‘zero tolerance’ or ‘swift action’.

This investigation must not drag like the one with the headmistresses. If the inspector is found guilty, he should be dealt with firmly and effectively. This incident will be a lesson to other policemen like him, that racism will not be tolerated.

A letter of apology to Loh will go a long way to repair any damage.

This unfortunate incident may be a blessing in disguise for the new IGP, Ismail Omar. He should seize this opportunity to clean-up his police force and where race relations is concerned, make sure that every officer treats the public, and their colleagues with fairness and respect, regardless of their ethnic origin.-MM