The government has appointed US-trained Mohamed Bakri Omar as its new police chief, officials said today.

Bakri, 55, would replace Norian Mai, 57, as the inspector-general of police from Thursday.

The Star newspaper described him as a "no-nonsense officer and a tough disciplinarian who does not hesitate to crack the whip at anyone including senior officers."

He joined the force in 1971, after studying political science from the University of East Tennessee in the United States. He also attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in Britain.

At a farewell speech Tuesday at the police headquarters, Norian, who has been with the force for 34 years, said he had served to the best of his abilities.

"I am leaving with a clear conscience. I am confident the force would continue to excel in serving the nation," he said.

Norian's challenges

Norian, 57, took over as the police chief in January 1999.

During his tenure, Norian had to handle many challenges, including putting an end to the Al-Maunah Islamic extremist group that had planned to overthrow the Malaysian government by force in 2000.

Police also arrested 92 Muslim militants, allegedly members of the al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah militant group.

They are detained under the Internal Security Act which allows them to be held indefinitely without trial. Some of them were arrested before the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. - AFP