One of the challenges faced by the Enforcement Agencies Integrity Commission (EAIC) in promoting integrity among Malaysia’s law enforcers is the fact that officers on the ground themselves do not think too much of the integrity of their own higher-ups or the government administration.
“When we talk to them about integrity, they ask us, is integrity supposed to be from bottom up or top down?” related EAIC chief Heliliah Yusof.
She believes that when trying to understand the cause for the lack of integrity among law enforcement personnel, it is important to look into the “whys and wherefores”.
“Is it because of inefficient standard operating procedures? Are they just going along with the group (peer pressure) or is it because of leadership by example (of corrupt higher ups)?” she asked the audience at the sixth session of the Corporate Governance Symposium 2013 discussing ‘Public Service Accountability and Transparency’.
“When we talk to them about integrity, they ask us, is integrity supposed to be from bottom up or top down?” related EAIC chief Heliliah Yusof.
She believes that when trying to understand the cause for the lack of integrity among law enforcement personnel, it is important to look into the “whys and wherefores”.
“Is it because of inefficient standard operating procedures? Are they just going along with the group (peer pressure) or is it because of leadership by example (of corrupt higher ups)?” she asked the audience at the sixth session of the Corporate Governance Symposium 2013 discussing ‘Public Service Accountability and Transparency’.
The problem of corruption in law enforcement, she said, was compounded by the fact that corrupt officers not only do nothing to stop crime but were actively protecting or even running criminal enterprises themselves.
Reports of police protecting prostitution dens
"We have reports of police officers protecting prostitution dens, protecting gambling dens," she lamented.
When it comes to abuse of power, Heliliah said, the question was not only about whether the officers knew their duties and responsibilities and were ignoring them, but also whether the people at large knew their rights under the laws.
Though the bigger question, she said, was whether the law enforcement officers were taking advantage of the people’s ignorance of their legal rights.
What is required, Heliliah believes, is re-educating the people on their legal rights and the officers on the difference between "light side and the dark side" and which side they should o serve, using an analogy from popular science fiction movie Star Wars.
"We have reports of police officers protecting prostitution dens, protecting gambling dens," she lamented.
When it comes to abuse of power, Heliliah said, the question was not only about whether the officers knew their duties and responsibilities and were ignoring them, but also whether the people at large knew their rights under the laws.
Though the bigger question, she said, was whether the law enforcement officers were taking advantage of the people’s ignorance of their legal rights.
What is required, Heliliah believes, is re-educating the people on their legal rights and the officers on the difference between "light side and the dark side" and which side they should o serve, using an analogy from popular science fiction movie Star Wars.
Law enforcers, she said, must uphold the law, protect the innocent and preserve the trust of the public, not become what the Malay proverb says, pagar makan padi, (literally, the fence that eats the rice crop) to symbolise how those who are supposed to protect the rakyat end up victimising them.
Right people not in the right jobs
Heliliah also described how her engagement with enforcement agencies showed problems of "the right people not being in the right jobs".
Trustworthiness is not an attribute one grows overnight. It must be inculcated in the long run and is found only in the right individuals, who may not necessarily be the ones chosen for law enforcement tasks.
The EAIC chief also believes that it all boils down to an understanding that good governance must prevail in all organisations, and that the concept of integrity must be instilled into all agencies, individuals concerned and society at large.
In the end, Heliliah said, everybody should “go back to their religions and good moral values”, which are core to all religious beliefs, for law enforcement officers who flaunt morals and good values would not only besmirch their uniforms and themselves, but also their religions.
Heliliah also described how her engagement with enforcement agencies showed problems of "the right people not being in the right jobs".
Trustworthiness is not an attribute one grows overnight. It must be inculcated in the long run and is found only in the right individuals, who may not necessarily be the ones chosen for law enforcement tasks.
The EAIC chief also believes that it all boils down to an understanding that good governance must prevail in all organisations, and that the concept of integrity must be instilled into all agencies, individuals concerned and society at large.
In the end, Heliliah said, everybody should “go back to their religions and good moral values”, which are core to all religious beliefs, for law enforcement officers who flaunt morals and good values would not only besmirch their uniforms and themselves, but also their religions.
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