KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — Fans of police-report-aficionado Abdul Rani Kulup can now rejoice as the man, often decked out in military garb with his signature red beret, will soon have a book out on shelves.
Malaysians will get a glimpse into the life of the colourful man who has become a fixture at the Dang Wangi Police Headquarters with an allegedly self-written book that contains some 400 police reports, certificates and never-before-seen photographs.
In a phone interview with the Malay Mail Online, Abdul Rani said, without missing a beat, that the message for the book, titled #Kipidap, is simple: to educate the public on the importance of lodging police reports and abiding by the rule of law.
“We must follow the law. If they know the law is there they won’t do anything wrong. If we’re not stern and don’t make police reports how can crime be solved? Police cannot act without a police report.
“Any criminal cases defamation, anything that can cause racial tension, only police can solve this,” said the self-styled Datuk Paduka.
Abdul Rani, who heads right-wing Malay group Martabat Jalinan Muhibbah Malaysia (MJMM), added that the book also shows the trials and tribulations he allegedly goes through to be able to keep the peace by lodging various police reports.
“This book is unique because it’s about my fight for Malaysia, making police reports, so this book tells the story of Ayahanda,” he said, referring to himself by the moniker that means “father” in Malay.
The title of the book refers to the phrase Abdul Rani coined, a bastardisation of the phrase “keep it up!”
He explained that it is not yet available in stores but will be soon, once certain issues are ironed out with his publisher Puteh Press, the alternative imprint of PTS Media Group Sdn Bhd.
According to PTS’ online bookstore BookCafe.com.my, the 128-paged all-colour book will be for sale between RM13 and RM15 starting the end of September.
The website also stated that each police report will be accompanied by a short write-up, explaining the motive behind Abdul Rani’s going to the police over certain issues.
The former drummer for a “pop yeh yeh” — a genre of Malay rock and roll — band hoped that all Malaysians would go out and buy his book in order to truly understand the key role of the police.
“We cannot mock and condemn the police. They are the ones looking after our country.
“If you mock and condemn them and you need help, you end up having to go back to the police anyways. So we shouldn’t do that,” he said.
He also hoped that the youth would learn early on about the procedures behind the solving of crime, which often starts with a single police report.
“All these youngsters are easily influenced with all sorts of negative acts. I hope through this book, they will be more receptive of the way things work with the police, and they will also not commit crimes,” he said.
MJMM is known for its anti-liberal stance and had in the past urged the authorities to punish activists and opposition leaders critical of the ruling Barisan Nasional government.
The NGO also voiced its support for preventive detention laws and had also called on Putrajaya to reinstate the Internal Security Act, a colonial-inherited law often used to silence political critics prior to its abolition in 2012.
