KUCHING: Stern action would be taken against police personnel who falsified their pay slips.
NEW OFFICE: Mohmad performs the ‘tepung tawar’ during the opening ceremony as (from left) Pauzi, Hamza and Sofian look on.
Giving the warning yesterday, Sarawak Commissioner of Police Datuk Mohmad Salleh said he was concerned that some members of the force had been found to have altered their pay slips in order to get loans from co-operatives or financial institutions.
“I understand that some police personnel have faked their pay slips. This is an unethical and dishonest act,” Mohmad said when opening the new office building of Koperasi Polis Diraja Malaysia Sarawak Bhd (Kopodims) at Jalan Kulas here.
Met by reporters later, the police chief said his department was addressing the problem, adding: “It is not a serious problem, but the police are not taking the matter lightly. We hope it won’t happen again.”
On the 40 per cent take home pay requirement, Mohmad said it was a policy imposed by the force on its personnel.
“A letter would be issued to those who have failed to meet the requirement, and they have to clear their debts as soon as possible to ensure their take home pay is at least 40 per cent of their monthly salary,” he stressed.
In his speech earlier, he advised his men not to fall into the ‘debt trap’.
“You should know your ability and should spend according to your means,” he said, adding that easy access to loans should not be abused.
“Use the loans wisely, for the good of your family and your children’s education,” he said.
Mohmad said as a move to prevent police personnel from getting into debt problems, the respective heads of departments in the force had been instructed to examine carefully every police personnel who wanted to get loans from co-operatives or financial institutions.
“We don’t want our personnel to have serious debt problems which can affect their performance. And we also don’t want them to be threatened by certain quarters as this could lead to graft and other problems,” he said.
He said co-operatives and financial institutions should work with the Police Department to ensure the debts of police personnel were not at an unhealthy level.
Kopodims chairman Superintendent Pauzi Bujang, in his speech, announced that the co-operative would distribute 11 per cent dividend to its members starting next November.
He also said to generate good income in the future, Kopodims would venture into plantation business.
“We have acquired 500 acres of land to plant oil palm. Hopefully the project could start early next year,” he said.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Datuk Hamza Taib and Management Department head Datuk Ahmad Sofian Mohd Yassin were also present during the function.