It's Just Plain Greed.

I could laugh my head off when I read in the papers that Tan Sri Musa Hasan refuted claims that low wages were among the factors contributing to corruption in the government sectors, including the police ranks. Corruption in the police force is still very much 'alive'. There is not much curtailment as far as I am concerned. Some ordinary 'mata-mata' would stoop so low as to instill fear and coerced the alleged wrong doer to give them the 'halal' bribe. Got money beres.

Have you ever been stopped by a drunkard policeman? Well it happened to me once in Malacca. I was stopped along an unlit stretch of a road somewhere near Simpang Empat ( the road that leads to the A Farmosa.) As a law-abiding citizen I stopped my car without knowing what offence I had committed. As no major offence could be found he was still quite adamant to find fault with me. Finally he summoned me for one of the fused bulbs on the back number plate because I refused to give in to his threat. I paid the summon but not without first reporting to his officer in Alor Gajah. I believe no action was taken.

Even some of the higher ranks in the force are just as guilty. Surely we must have read of them doing their bits to enrich themselves . Living beyond their means. The lower ranks take home 'smaller paychecks', the higher ranks, 'bigger paychecks'. Corruption is an insidious disease. Sadly nothing much can be done. We just have to live with that. So long as corruption exist in the police force our trust in them would be corroded to a certain extent. There would be less fraternal feelings for them.