The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, should not try to re-invent the wheel on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for the police to reduce crime as all he needs to do is to use the 2005 Police Royal Commission Report to set the KPI benchmarks in the fight against crime.
In his one-hour interview aired live on TV last night, Najib tried but failed to respond to criticism that he is not serious about combating crime, although he had listed it as the first of the six key areas he want his administration to focus on.
Najib claimed that with the six key result areas spelt out, the government would be more focused as the yardsticks had already been identified.
He added:
“For example, in reducing the crime rate, we have to identify exactly which sort of crime, and by how many per cent we want to reduce it. “We have to set a high target, but not too high that it is unrealistic. If the target is too low, then the people would think the KPIs are meaningless.”
Former Chief Justice, Tun Mohammed Dzaiddin and Tun Hanif Omar (who were Chairman and Deputy Chairman respectively) and the other 15 Commissioners of the Police Royal Commission set up by former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to create an efficient, incorruptible, professional world-class police service must be very frustrated to read Najib’s comments, as it meant that all the great work done by the Police Royal Commission for their detailed recommendations and benchmarks for a world-class police service had gone to waste.
If Najib is a bold, innovative and reformist Prime Minister, he would be setting up another Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Police to examine why the Police had failed to benefit fully from the Dzaiddin Police Royal Commission Report and recommendations to perform three core functions to keep crime low, eradicate corruption and uphold human rights.
Instead, Najib is putting the clock back by saying that what is necessary to reduce the crime rate is first to “identify exactly which sort of crime and by how many per cent we want to reduce it”.
Who give Najib such terrible advice if not the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan?
Najib and every Cabinet Minister should declare their stand whether they agree that a bold decision is needed to stop the galloping crime rate in the country by having a new IGP instead of extending the term of Musa in September.
I said in Parliament that there are 100 reasons why Malaysia needs a new IGP but the following primary reasons suffice:
- Terrible advice to Najib on his Hundred Day Address about combatting crime;
- Failure to fully implement 125 Police Royal Commission recommendations esp. establishing IPCMC to produce an efficient, incorruptible, professional world-class police force to keep crime low, eradicate corruption and uphold human rights
- Led losing war against the rising crime index, which had worsened from 156,315 cases in 2004 to shoot through the 200,000 barrier in 2007 and 2008.
- Parliament responded to Police Royal Commission Report and tripled police allocations in 9th Malaysia Plan to RM8 billion as compared to 8th Malaysia Plan – but Musa failed to deliver.