COMMENT | RCI on police reforms - 16 years later

COMMENT | During the administration of our fourth prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, one of the major concerns at the time was the public perception of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM). The perception was that there was widespread corruption within the force and questions were also raised on the efficiency of the police in dealing with crimes.

As such, at the end of 2003, the then prime minister announced that a royal commission of inquiry would be established to look into issues relating to the police force.

The Royal Commission to Enhance the Operations and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police was constituted pursuant to the Commissions of Inquiry Act 1950. The RCI was chaired by former Chief Justice Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah.

The terms of reference of the Dzaiddin RCI included enquiring into human resources development of the police force, organisational structure and distribution of human resources and lastly, to make recommendations for the improvement and modernisation of the PDRM.

The RCI made public inquiries, received several hundreds of reports and suggestions and conducted two surveys. It then prepared a report which was later published in 2005. The RCI report was informally known as the "Dzaiddin’s report".

Dzaiddin’s report identified...