CAKAP SALAH TAK CAKAP SALAH

A colleague (more of a friend actually) of mine who happens to be a loyal reader of my blog offers me an advice the other day. Now that you have decided to sign on for another two years as the man in blue, why don’t you stop hentam police and write something good about the force for once. That request sets me thinking. Have I, all this while been bashing the police? I thought I was just offering my two sens worth of opinion as a member of the Royal Malaysia Police who deep inside his heart believed in the ideals of police work. Policing to me has never been about the money but about the satisfaction of once standing in the middle of the Port Dickson – Seremban trunk road around 6 am in the morning stopping a pick-up to force the driver to drive an unconscious accident victim to the Seremban Hospital. That to me is policing. Making the rakyat feel safe and not just throwing your weight and power around. Are you saying that when I tegur my wife on her shortcomings, that I hate her?

When I wrote that piece in Utusan Malaysia taking the former IGP to task for saying that 40% of the police force are corrupted, I was deluged by phone calls from members of the force. The common thread in their calls, praising me because I am brave enough to hentam the former IGP. Why did you say I hentam the old man when in fact I was only asking a question for my former No.1 to answer. I guess that’s the problem with us Malaysians, we are so used to towing the line, so feudalistic in our mindset, especially the malays and so submissive that anyone who dares says something negative about those in power, are still powerful or about the system is viewed as guilty of treason. No wonder Malaysia tak boleh maju. If the boss says pawn Malaysia to foreign powers I am sure there’ll be hundreds of pak turut and yesmen and yes women hunting for pawnshop to gadai malaysia. Such is our psyche according to my two sens worth of observations.

By the way, about those phone calls. There are quite a number from those senior to me in rank who wanted me to write more about the shortcomings they have observed whilst serving in the force. Now, that’s another annoying traits that malaysians have. Cakap banyak di belakang tapi tak berani bersuara di depan, hoping that an idiot like me will blurp everything out. If events turns out positive after the disclosure, then they’ll come out from the worm holes claiming credit for the exposure but if things turn nasty, they’ll wash their hands off me, crawl back into the woodwork and leave me alone to hang and dry.

I remember the PDRM Officers Mess, Bukit Aman, extraordinary AGM that was called to get a mandate from members to use part of the Mess fund to finance the Officers Mess foray into the world of shares trading so that the dividends or profits earned can be ploughed back into the Mess account. I was the only Chief Inspector then who dares airs my reservations about investing our Mess fund in the share market. The Deputy IGP was then present. The issue was put to a vote by show of hands and as expected the motion was carried through. The Senior Police Officers Mess, Bukit Aman is now an investor. After the meeting, a few senior officers of the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police and above, came to see me to voice their agreement with my reservations earlier. However I remember perfectly well that they were the ones who voted for the motion in the first place. Hah! this is what I meant, talk a lot but no guts.

As stated earlier, my good friend who is now the proud owner of a Phd scroll (tomorrow I’ll call him doctor), asked me to write something good about the force. Remember my earlier blog posting when I say the police force only provides me with an empty room, a table and a chair, as a superintendant of police for me to do my work in?

My apologies to the logistics department. I now have a bigger (plus wash room lagi) and more presentable room. At least I won’t be shy if my kampong folks comes to visit me in my office to see how their orang kampong has fared as a senior police officer. There’s a lot to improve on though but as the saying goes, beggars cannot be choosers.

Coincidently, after that advice from my Dr. friend, I received a few more advice from well meaning collegues and friends who also asked me to stop or at least to water down what I have been posting in my blog. It sets me thinking. What about my right as guaranteed by The Constitution, to freedom of expression. Ok..ok.. I know there is no such thing as absolute and unbridled freedom. I know there is the Sedition Act, the Penal Code, etc, that governs what I say to ensure that this country forever remains safe, secure and peaceful. I know that. But then, say during my first promotion interview to be a DSP, I was asked this question, “As a management student and after spending more than 20 years in the force, what do you think of management practices in the police force. I then proceed to asked the interviewer, “Dato’, do you want the politically correct answer or my sincere personal views?”. The Dato’ then reminds me that he expects the truth as I see it and nothing else. So I proceed to tell him that as a management student and as someone who has served more than 20 years in the force, that there is no such thing as management practices in the police force. So I have to go for my second and third interviews to become a DSP. This is the dilemma that I am facing. Speak my mind and shame the devil or keep silent and forever keep my peace.

I remember Hang Nadim who was chained and thrown to drown in the Singapore waters when he dares suggest to the then Sultan, to use banana tree trunks to defend Singapore against attacks by swordfish instead of using human thighs as suggested by palace officials. Please! Takkan you all dah lupa cerita Singapura DiLanggar Todak.

To satisfy those WOGs among us (Westernised Oriental Gentleman) i.e. orang timur perasan matsalleh, how about cerita The Emperor’s New Clothes. Cerita pasal raja yang pakai baju kononnya terlampau halus dan seni sehingga tidak kelihatan seperti berbaju. Apabila raja keluar ke bandar dengan baju barunya, semua memanda raja dan rakyat jelata memuji betapa cantiknya baju baru raja dan bijaknya tukang jahit diraja mencipta baju sedemikian sehinggalah seorang budak kecil bersorak yang raja sebenarnya telanjang. Untungnya cerita The Emperor’s New Clothes berlaku dalam negeri orang putih. Kalau berlaku di negeri Hang Nadim, dah lama kena campak ke laut, takpun kena sula budak tu.

What has happened to governing or leading as practised by the right guided Caliphs of Islam e.g. Saidina Omar and Saidina Abu Bakar? Zaman mereka dulu rakyat boleh komen bahkan boleh cabar pemimpin ulong Islam ketika itu untuk memerintah dengan adil dan baik atau kepala mereka (kalifah) akan dipenggal. Tak pernah saya terbaca yang rakyat tu kena hukum pancung atau sebat atau penjara pulak kerana berani bersuara.

Inilah yang sedang berlaku dalam masyarakat kita. Cakap salah, diam hati berbuku. Apa kata kalau dalam posting-posting yang berikutnya saya nukilkan kisah-kisah hantu yang pernah saya alami atau posisi-posisi sex amalan saya atau apa yang saya lakukan pada isteri atas katil sehingga dia sanggup bertahan 28 tahun kahwin dengan saya. Tapi itu pun saya bimbang juga, nanti lembaga penapisan blog malaysia, kata saya buat cerita tahyul dan cerita lucah pulak. Tak sanggup rasanya saya berdepan dengan seksyen 223 Akta Komunikasi & Multimedia.

I know what I’ll do untuk mengelakkan saya hilang pencen atau gratuiti saya kerana mulut celupar saya ni. Mungkin saya kena ikut nasihat the three monkeys. “See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil”. Next posting saya akan keluarkan cerita-cerita dalam kelambu aje. Boleh kan??????????

Jumpa lagi.