Sunday March 13, 2011
By FARIK ZOLKEPLI farik@thestar.com.my
KUALA TERENGGANU: Police have improved their service scheme in line with the goal of having 150,000 personnel by 2015.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said among the improvements to the Police Service Scheme were giving the rank of sergeant to diploma holders.
“It is part of the move to entice more young people to join the force,” he said after granting ranks to Universiti Malaysia Terengganu’s (UMT) voluntary police personnel here yesterday.
Ismail said the speed of promotions would also be improved.
“A constable could become a corporal within five years instead of the long wait previously,” he said.
Ismail added the 150,000 target was realistic given the number of challenges faced by the police.
Commenting on criticism that the cramped and unsafe hostel at the Kuala Lumpur Police Training Centre (Pulapol) had caused the influenza outbreak, Ismail said the matter was being studied.
“We will work with the Health Ministry to ascertain whether the hostel is safe.
“However, we must identify the cause of the outbreak,” he said.
Bernama reported that the number of trainee inspectors and constables in Pulapol being treated for adenovirus infection at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL) has dropped to 24, compared to 32 yesterday.
Pulapol commandant SAC Zulkifli Mohamed said the 24 trainees included one being treated in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
“The trainees include five females, eight males and 11 constables including a male constable trainee in the ICU,” he said.
Zulkifli said the number of trainees being isolated in Pulapol at Jalan Semarak here had risen to 720 yesterday from 584 the day before.
He said six of the 720 people in isolation were Pulapol staff.
A Pulapol trainee from Kuala Kangsar, Perak, died at HKL last Tuesday.