YOURSAY | Low wages is no excuse for corruption in police force.
'Low wages linked to corruption in police force'
Vijay47: Come on, PKR’s Kuala Langat MP Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid, this defence or excuse that crime is always the product of the environment, that low wages is a justification for criminal action does not wash at all.
Why stop at corruption? Would it be equally acceptable if an employee being paid slave wages indulges in robbing banks or holding up passers-by? And since when has man ever been satisfied with what he has?
The man with a motorcycle wishes to have a Kancil, then a Vios, and from a Vios, he hungers to finally move on to two Lamborghinis, the second one being for his 22-year-old second wife he has housed in Damansara Heights.
But not everyone turns to crime or bribes to realise their dreams; many work hard to improve their lot, others accept the reality of life.
The cause in Malaysia is actually more straightforward - “follow the leader”.
Have A Great Day: Police wages have been increased in recent years, if I am not mistaken, supposedly to combat corrupt practices.
The report of those high-ranking police officers allegedly on the take from gambling syndicates in Malacca shows that salary by itself is not the determining factor. By the way, what happened to that case?
No, it is more the culture within the police force and the kleptocratic state of our country.
Legit: I would like to ask Abdullah Sani what is a reasonable salary for these low-level cops - RM5,000, RM10,000, RM15,000?
Say a police constable is paid RM5,000, is he going to be corruption-free? I do not think so.
Corruption is a culture in Malaysia, and if leaders of the country are openly corrupt and plunder the country, then this corruption culture will pervade the entire population with impunity.
This is a disease among Malaysians, and it will not stop with higher salaries alone. The entire system has to be cleaned up with effective enforcement and education.
But then again, I may be too idealistic because this is not going to happen.
XED: Corruption causes price inflation because the money paid is worked into the prices of goods and services by the suppliers who pay the crooks. Corruption leads to misallocation of resources into the pockets of the crooks, enriching them unjustly.
Corruption also leads to those businesses which make the payments cutting corners and delivering goods and services of poor quality, for example, roads, bridges and buildings which collapsed because the contractors had to pay the crooks.
Well That’s Fantastic: The idea that keeping wages low will keep multinational companies here has done more damage than good in my opinion.
Higher wages would help reduce the divide a little between the haves and the have-nots, and would put so much more cash money into local economies instead of just the rich man's pocket.
Perak Boleh: The Home Ministry must go for quality police personnel with high pay like the Hong Kong police force, instead of quantity with low performance and low pay, exposing them to corruption.
Oscar Kilo: Low wages should not be used as an excuse for corruption. What about corrupt politicians and businessmen who already earn big bucks but still cheat and steal to get even more?
The root cause is greed and corruption, not low wages.
A meaningful manifesto for Harapan
Headhunter: Well said, former minister Zaid Ibrahim. To be honest, I'm still not sure what Pakatan Harapan is all about, apart from trying to displace the BN government.
With so little time left until the 14th general election, I think it is about time the parties in the coalition select their best brains to sit down and strategise their policies or manifesto to tell Malaysians why we should vote for them to run the country.
Basically, Malaysians are concerned with putting food on the table, a roof over their heads, personal freedom and a clean government. Anything more sophisticated is only for the intellectuals and urban folks.
The rural folks are more concerned with their own survival. That's why goodies (or “bribes” as some may put it) like 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) are attractive to them. They are not concerned with where the money comes from.
It's time for Harapan to put personal agendas on the back burner and move forward as the government-in-waiting. Failing is no longer an option.
Tekad: A general election is meant for all voters to choose the next government and voters are from all strata of society. It is not meant for just the educated, professionals or intellectuals.
Hence, the manifesto should be easily understood and remembered by the voters, and not be complicated, long-winded, full of verbose and technical language which only lawyers like Zaid can comprehend.
The problem is many leaders disregard the majority of voters and their intelligence in choosing the right candidate who best represents their interests.
RR: Zaid, excellent! You have already done the manifesto for Harapan. I hope Harapan adopts it, besides adding other interests and benefits for the rakyat.
I also hope Harapan leaders will not quarrel over the manifesto as they are now quarrelling over the prime minister’s position.
Anonymous 242641505703475: Thank you, Zaid, for clearly stating what direction Harapan's manifesto should take. It must be in black and white, and there must be a timeline.
People are tired of empty promises. Deeds must follow words.
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