KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 20 — Certain police officers turned corrupt not because of low wages, Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today.
Instead, the deputy prime minister said such policemen abused their power because of their desire to live luxurious lives.
“Having a small salary is not the sole factor in the involvement of police staff in corruption and misuse of power,” Zahid said in a parliamentary written reply.
“The involvement of staff in such cases is because of personal push to live a luxurious life, spending outside their capacity like buying cars, clothes and branded furniture which is expensive and causes inequality between earnings and spending.”
The statement was made in reply to Tenom MP Datuk Raime Unggi, who asked Zahid to state how Putrajaya is reviewing police officers’ wage scheme and welfare to curb police corruption and abuse.
Raime also suggested for a new allowance for police in return for overworking, their high occupational risk, and stress.
Zahid added that based on Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission data, there were 187 corruption cases involving police officers.
He also said Putrajaya is looking into improving the living conditions of police officers including increasing their current allowances and introducing new ones.
