APRIL 12 ― With police fitness tests so slack, it’s no wonder that it brings a new meaning to the phrase “heavy police presence”.

Despite a wealth of evidence showing many cops are taking a bite out of more than crime, the benefits of physical fitness, leadership and strategy on the issue are totally absent.

Two years ago, the Royal Malaysia Police took umbrage when I suggested in this column that a fat cop crackdown should be launched to deal with the scale of fatness in the force.

It was when then Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar disclosed that heart problems and diabetes — both weight-related health setbacks — were the top two diseases ailing many police personnel.

Ismail had said the “fast food cops” tag — eating unhealthy fast food — may have rubbed on our cops and contributed to the force’s diabetes statistics.

I trembled then, and again this week, when it was revealed that 81 out of the 270 police personnel at Sungai Buloh were unhealthy with the majority of them suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems.

Selangor police chief Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahlan said the force was looking into ways to get the officers to be more health conscious. Is he saying it’s that difficult to get his men into shape?

Sungai Buloh Hospital director Dr Khalid Ibrahim stated the obvious by saying it was a “serious issue” that had to be tackled immediately.

He suggested free medical checkups be provided to police officers nationwide “so we can decide on the solution”. Is Dr Khalid saying police officers are not eligible for free treatment at public hospitals?

Dr Khalid boasts that his hospital has taken the initiative to keep cops fit through programmes such as “Cycling with the police”, bowling events, and free health education forums. Bowling? Really?

Was he talking to kids when he said cops needed to have a balanced diet and maintain good stamina? That it could affect their career in the long run as poor health was detrimental to their job performance?

 Clearly, poor health in the police force pointedly suggests that while our protectors face fitness tests upon signing up, there’s no rigorous fitness re-test in a career with the force that could span more than 30 years.

Such comments come across as a prestige deficit for the police. It’s a huge drag on the health of the force that is increasingly stressed by an unhealthy lifestyle from the bottom to the top.

Should they then be disciplined to meet physical or weight standards continually to merit their badge-wearing rights?

It’s obvious that police personnel need to be physically fit in order to carry out their duties to their best ability. They did face stringent standards before being hired, didn’t they?

Unhealthy police officers demand costly medical care. YOU are paying for it. Unhealthy cops not only endanger society, suspects and themselves, but pose serious consequences: higher healthcare costs, more paid time off, a less productive force and a bad image.

For instance, a cop who is not in good physical health can mean the difference between catching a suspect or the target making a clean getaway. Suspects may also be more likely to flee or defy arrest if they feel that the officer is not going to be able to chase them or defend himself effectively.

This could lead to the officer using violent force than would have been necessary had he been able to defuse the situation.

The officer may even be forced to use a weapon if he is not able to defend himself or nab a suspect through physical means.

Bottom line: If a police officer cannot defend himself, how can he protect someone else?

Figures of cops suffering from ill-health and those overweight are not available, but it’s no consolation that Malaysia is the fattest nation in Southeast Asia and sixth in the Asia-Pacific region.

The blob in the flabby nation image has been put down to Malaysians taking too much sugar and sweeteners. On the average, each Malaysian consumes seven tablespoons of artificial sweeteners, four teaspoons of sugar and three teaspoons of condensed milk with their drinks daily.

No surprise then that the number of Malaysians diagnosed with diabetes has increased to more than three million in the past five years.

While the Health Ministry is concerned that many have yet to go for early diagnosis to detect possible health problems, emphasis should be placed on law enforcement and rescue personnel to ensure a medically fit frontline security.

The nation is not looking for supermen. We want law enforcers who are able to protect us. You weren’t hired unfit and we don’t want you working unfit.

*This is the personal opinion of the columnist.