35,000 applicants vying for 340 police inspector posts

 

After the intake of inspectors is completed, the police will start the recruitment process for sergeants and constables.

PETALING JAYA: More than 35,000 hopefuls are vying for the limited 340 slots in this year’s intake of police inspectors, says Bukit Aman’s management department director Azmi Abu Kassim.

Azmi said this showed that recent reports of wrongdoing involving some policemen had not deterred members of the public from applying to join the force, while noting that the number of applicants was similar to last year’s.

Azmi Abu Kassim.

“From the number of applications and inquiries about the intake for the inspector position, I think it’s fair to say that interest in the position is very high,” he told FMT.

Azmi said the interview process was very strict, taking into account recent instances of bad apples within the police force.

“(The standards) are very stringent for all aspects of testing, including physical examinations, psychometric evaluations, and face-to-face interviews, in order to select the best candidates,” the former Kuala Lumpur police chief said.

According to Azmi, the ongoing interviews began nationwide last month and the results are expected to be out in March. He said it will be followed by the intake for sergeants and constables.

Yesterday, home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail was reported to have said that the applicants for the inspector posts included professionals, such as lawyers and data scientists, and those who were proficient in multiple languages.

Saifuddin added that interest in joining the force was high with the quality of applicants also being of a “very high” standard.

“It’s a different story if there are only 500 applicants,” he said.

There have been multiple reports of policemen breaking the law in recent months, including raping teenagers and being involved in extortion, abductions, and murder.

Lance corporal Fazrul Razzi Yunus, 31, was charged in January with raping a 17-year-old foreign student in Ampang, Selangor on Jan 9. He and his colleague, Adib Aikal Shahrul Nizam, 24, were later charged for extortion in a separate court.

In Perak, a police sergeant was detained twice to assist in two separate rape probes, one of which involved a 16-year-old.

In December, deputy superintendent Nazri Abdul Razak was charged with killing 17-year-old schoolboy Zaharif Affendi Zamrie near his school in Meru, Perak. Nazri had allegedly crashed his car into Zaharif who was on a motorcycle.

Malaysia’s police force also gained international attention last month after a British couple shared a video clip on YouTube of a traffic policeman offering an “on-the-spot” speeding fine and “reducing” the amount from RM300 to RM100. Three traffic cops have since been arrested over the incident. - FMT