Police recruits will now have an additional feature in their training stint - exposure to human rights issues in order to help them handle cases more effectively.

Newly appointed Police Training Centre (Pulapol) commander Koh Hong Sun said today the recruits will also be exposed to other basic law as this will equip them with the necessary skills and knowledge.

He said constables or low rank officers were the front-line police personnel entrusted with the duty to serve the public and at the same time uphold the credibility of the force.

"They are in the front-line of the force, who should be equipped with all the skills required to become good policemen as well as to be able to communicate with the public and try to solve their problems," he was quoted as saying by Bernama .

Koh, the former federal traffic police chief, was speaking to reporters after taking over duty from Kamaruddin Alias, who retired on Saturday.

Reassess training modules

Koh said Inspector-General of Police Mohd Bakri Omar had directed him to re-assess training modules and syllabuses and make the necessary amendments according to current needs of the force.

"We are not saying that the current modules are outdated or irrelevant but they need to be reinforced with new methods of training skills, as well as the need to fine-tune further, to improve our inter-personnel communication skills, whether we are officers or low rank policemen," he added.

Koh said the IGP had also directed him to place more emphasis on discipline among the recruits.

The police have come under harsh criticism from various quarters for allegedly overlooking basic human rights. Allegations of brutality, indiscriminate killings of suspected criminals and cases of custodial deaths have also served to tarnish its image.

The widespread complaints prompted the government to set up a special commission to probe these allegations and make recommendations on how to improve the force.