Source: http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news.php?id=220483
September 18, 2006 22:18 PM
Police Want Salary Revision For Personnel Earning Below Poverty Line
PUTRAJAYA, Sept 18 (Bernama) – The Royal Malaysia Police today called on the government to revise the salary scale of its personnel whose earnings are below the poverty line.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said the move was necessary considering that 20 percent of the lower rank officers were diploma and degree holders.
"If we are to consider that the Kuala Lumpur poverty line is at RM1,500, anything lower than that is considered poor. So the matter needs to be studied first.
“After the study, I will discuss the matter with the Internal Security Ministry to get the best approach,” he told reporters after a ceremony to present contributions to family members of the late Constable Mohd Fakharudin Zakaria, here Monday.
Sunday, Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Mohd Johari Baharum agreed with Musa’s suggestion that the salary of police officers and other ranks be raised in view of their challenging roles.
Last Tuesday, Musa had said that police personnel were among the lowest paid working group in the country with the initial salary of a Constable being only RM650 a month.
He however stressed that he was not proposing that the salary of those earning below RM1,500 a month be raised above the level as an in-depth study needed to be conducted first.
Apart from raising their performance quality, the move would make them more passionate about their job, he said.
“So should they be enticed to do the wrong things, they would not do so as they love their lucrative-paying job,” Musa said.
He said in addition, corruption could be checked further as criminals would not dare to bribe the officers since they had a high regard for their job.
Meanwhile in KOTA KINABALU, Federal Police Director of Management, Datuk Mohd Amir Sulaiman, said a proposal on raising the police salary would be submitted to the government soon.
He said currently the proposal was at an evaluation stage before being submitted to the government for approval.
"I think the revision of the police salary scale can be finalised before the end of the year.
“We hope the government will consider it,” he told reporters after a duty handing-over ceremony between outgoing Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Mangsor Ismail and his successor Deputy Police Commissioner Datuk Mohd Bakri Zinin in Kepayan, here Monday.
– BERNAMA
