LAST week, US President Donald Trump announced that he wanted every employee in the building to undergo a polygraph test to unearth those who spoke to the press about his calls with foreign leaders, his desire to buy Greenland and his wish to build a moat for his border wall containing alligators and snakes.
Prior to this, Mike Pence, the vice-president, was willing to undergo polygraph tests to prove he was not the author of the New York Times article to invoke the 25th amendment, which allowed the removal of the president if he is deemed unfit to carry out the duties of the office.
Polygraph tests determine whether or not a person is lying. The tests can also be used to clear the name of a person wrongly accused.
A polygraph is an instrument which measures a person’s physiological reactions, such as changes in pulse, skin conductivity and breathing in order to assess whether or not he is telling the truth.
A polygraph test is usually done in three phases. In the first phase, an examinee is informed of his rights, and he signs a consent form if he agrees to undergo the test.
The examiner then discusses with the examinee specific issues which are the subject matter of the questions that will be asked during the test. The examiner will also assess the subject’s emotional suitability for the test.
In the second phase, several wires are connected to the subject’s body, including fingers, chest and arm. The examiner administers at least three separate tests, where a subject’s responses are recorded onto the polygraph charts as he answers the set of questions reviewed earlier during the pre-test.
Based on the psycho-physiological principle, when the examinee hears a question which he or she intends to answer untruthfully, the brain interprets and triggers automatic and uncontrollable physiological changes which are reflected by the polygraph.
CERTIFIED POLYGRAPH EXAMINERS
In the final phase, the examiner will conduct a diagnostic analysis, evaluate all charts collected during the tests and from this evaluation, the examiner will be able to determine whether or not the examinee is telling the truth.
It is impossible to cheat in polygraph tests conducted by certified examiners.
Even so, the instrument is not truly a lie detector. It produces only graphs. The polygraph examiners are the lie detectors and they determine whether the person is deceptive or truthful.
The American Polygraph Association has conducted over 250 studies which showed the accuracy of the polygraph is 98 per cent when examined by certified examiners.
POLYGRAPH WIDELY USED IN SINGAPORE
The polygraph is widely used in more than 80 countries as it is regarded as the best choice, rated highest in terms of widespread use by government as well as the private sector to detect lies and for security reasons.
In Singapore, the police, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Manpower, Prisons Department, Customs, Central Narcotics Bureau, Security and Intelligence agencies and the military use it for personnel screening and investigations.
The prosecutor’s office also uses it to decide whether or not to file charges.
Agencies like the CIA, FBI, National Security Agency, US Secret Service and the US Department of Defence and the majority of US police departments use polygraph tests in investigations or to determine links with terrorist activities.
In England and Wales, polygraph tests are used by the police in the monitoring of released sex offenders.
CORRUPTION DETERRENT
The Football Association of Singapore uses the polygraph to screen players and match officials in the S-League to detect corruption.
South Korea’s K-League uncovered match-fixing involving top players and officials via polygraph testing.
In Malaysia, the polygraph has been used by the MACC, the police, the Royal Customs Department and the army for internal investigations.
ADMISSIBILITY IN COURT
Last week, the Director-General of the National Centre for Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption, Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed, stressed that the polygraph test can be used as evidence in a court case when administered by qualified examiners, but it is up to the judiciary to determine it.
President of the Shariah Lawyers Association, Musa Awang, said based on existing law, the polygraph tests may be used as evidence in court but ultimately it is the judge who has the right to accept it or not.
Currently, there is no precedent on the admissibility of polygraph evidence in Malaysia and Singapore.
But in Japan, India, New Mexico (US) and Indonesia, polygraph evidence is admissible in court.
In the US, most states permit polygraph test results to be used as evidence where parties have agreed to their admissibility before the examination is given, under stipulated terms.
Some Malaysian companies are using the polygraph for recruitment of staff and internal investigations, including by insurance companies to detect those who falsify claims, such as those who claim their vehicles were stolen when in fact they were sold.
It is a preventive measure as employees will think twice before committing an offence, knowing that they could, at any time, be made to take the test by their employers.
– https://www.nst.com.my
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