IGP looking forward to leaving the job ‘as soon as possible’

Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador.

PETALING JAYA: Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador said he did not foresee himself staying on the job for long and that he is looking forward to leaving “as soon as possible”.

In an interview with Benar News, Hamid, who took over as the country’s top cop in May, said the two-year stint is “more than enough” to get the ball rolling on ensuring a clean police force.

“When I find the right time for me to leave, even if it is before the contract ends, I will leave,” he said when asked how long he thought he would serve as IGP.

“I did not ask for this position. Even, when people said I would become IGP, I said it was not possible.”

But, he said, when Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad asked him, he could not say “no”.

“At this juncture, as everyone clamours for a better and clean police force, clean ministries and clean government, of course, I feel that it is my duty to make it work.”

Hamid also said the police’s Integrity and Standard Compliance Department had been actively checking to determine if any offciers were involved in gambling, drug abuse and corruption.

“Hundreds have been arrested. Now, we are asking for more manpower from the government. I’m asking for 1,000 additional personnel to check on the 131,000-member force.”

On what he felt was the country’s top security concern now, Hamid said it was the rise in negative racial comments on social media that pitted one race against another.

In recent weeks, many of the country’s leaders have voiced concern over worsening race relations in the wake of heated social media exchanges on contentious issues like the introduction of the Jawi script in the Bahasa Melayu syllabus in vernacular schools and controversial remarks made by Mumbai-born preacher Dr Zakir Naik.

“As I have said, I am not going to warn anyone any more,” said Hamid.

A special team, he said, was scrutinising social media comments and would lodge police reports once it detects anything amounting to an offence.

“Police will try to identify the culprit and we will take necessary action.” - FMT