I refer to the Malaysiakini report Detainee's death classified as murder.

Is there something deadly wrong with our police force? Do they understand what human and civil rights are? Are they sufficiently trained on the laws and regulations pertaining to arrest, remand, charge and prosecution?

Are they skillful and knowledgeable in the work of interrogation and investigation? Do they have sufficient skills and knowledge in gathering evidence? Do police personnel ever undergo psycho- therapy for psycho-social problems that they might be suffering?

Does the police force employ psychotherapists and psychologists to examine police personnel on whether they are mentally and psychologically capable of performing their duty?

It is crying shame that we often hear of deaths in police custody, more so in a law- based society like Malaysia.

Malaysia is a fast-developing nation which is solidly grounded in the rule of law and yet we frequently hear gruesome news of deaths in police custody, remand detainees being brutally beaten up and, even lately, scalded with boiling water.

It is a national shame for the police to act in such cruel and inhumane manner when dealing with suspects and remand prisoners.

What is even more shocking is that the police are super-fast in going after the families of the victims, sympathisers and concerned citizens and not after their own personnel who allegedly caused the death of these detainees. This is clearly evident in every such case that was reported in the media. What is wrong with our police force?

I would seriously urge the inspector-general of police to undertake a psycho-social environmental study within the police force to determine the personnel’s psychological well-being. Please do not misconstrue my request as an insult or insinuation against the police.

The truth of the matter is that police personnel are human beings and they are bound to be affected by psycho-social environmental problems, more so when their job and life is regimented.

Psycho-social environmental problems can be traced to the working environment, family conditions and economic (income) and social conditions faced by people. It is important that the men in blue uniform with a gun belted to their hips are free from any disturbing psycho-social environmental problems.

I dread to see the day when due to psycho-social environmental problems, a police personnel open fires on his colleagues or the public as we sometimes witness happening in other countries.

Further, do police personnel undergo regular training and education on human rights, laws and rights of detainees under their custody? If so, how effective is these training? From the numerous complaints against the police force, it is evident that police personnel lack sufficient training on human rights, laws and rights of detainees under their custody.

The IGP should ensure that professionalism is used during investigation and interrogation and the use of brutal force is avoided to extract evidence. I do not wish to dwell on the worth of forcibly extracted cautioned statements, for I guess that the police and public prosecutor are fully aware of its worth in a court of law.

It is time to re-brand our police force with a human face and the government should act quickly to fix the negative image plaguing the force. It should, without hesitation, suspend and charge those who are suspected of causing the death of detainees under their custody without any undue delay.

Failing which, the rakyat would completely lose faith in the police force and Malaysia’s ranking of human rights would plunge even lower. We are not in a lawless, cowboy territory but in a law- based country and the enforcers of the law, in this case the police, should act justly and fairly.

The sword of justice should cut both ways and I hope that the IGP would act promptly and justly to bring to justice those men in blue who have committed heinous crimes.

I also wish that he look into my suggestion that the police undertake a study of the psycho-social environmental condition within the force. Let’s remedy the situation now before it gets disastrous.