Police vow law, order within ranks

KUCHING: The district police headquarters (IPD) is intensifying efforts to bolster their personnel’s discipline, integrity, and governance, aiming to uphold a crime-free environment within their ranks.

Kuching police chief, ACP Ahsmon Bajah, expressed his commitment to these issues, acknowledging that misconduct such as abuse of power, corruption, drug offenses, and breaches of Syariah law have occurred within the IPD.

“I do not wish to see this happen [in Kuching IPD], as it contradicts the fundamental purpose of the police force, which is to serve the community effectively.

“Without discipline, we risk poor governance and compromised integrity, damaging our reputation and hampering our ability to enforce the law effectively,” he said during a press conference following the Drug-Free and Corruption-Free oath-taking ceremony and signing of the Official Secrets Act today (Jan 16).

The event, which saw participation from 130 personnel, including station chiefs, senior officers, and supervisors, was hosted at the Senior Police Officer’s Mess of the Sarawak Contingent Police Headquarters (IPK).

The ceremony is part of an ongoing initiative that began last year to reinforce the principles of discipline, integrity, and governance among senior officers, members, and staff of the IPD.

Ahsmon also said that in the previous year, 25 individuals from the IPD, including four senior officers, 20 rank-and-file personnel, and a civilian staff member, were involved in various criminal activities like corruption, narcotics, and Syariah law violations.

Furthermore, he revealed that disciplinary measures were enforced against 133 officers and personnel for issues related to indiscipline, rule infractions, and breaches of standard operating procedures (SOP).