Public trust on the integrity of Royal Malaysia Police: better or worse

• Published in: Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
• Main Author: Yahya A.H.; Khamis K.A.; Zakaria Z.
• Format: Conference paper
• Language: English
• Published: SPIE 2023
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85181401940&doi=10.1117%2f12.3011772&partnerID=40&md5=e44a0fc2ea3f157fbe1b919c79213cc2

Integrity is fundamental in enforcement agencies including the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) to ensure accountability in accordance with the law, without misconduct or corruption. Lately, there has been frustration among the people about the increase of misconduct among police officers which is quite alarming with several high-profile cases in the country. Therefore, this study tries to reveal the extent of public trust on the integrity of RMP. This study used qualitative methods through thematic analysis to look more deeply at the views of the people and practitioners. The results of the study are as expected, which is that the people are quite disappointed and worried about the increasing number of misconduct cases among police officers. However, there are also a few of informants who indicate that the level of integrity in RMP is still under control and only a small number of misconduct cases in Malaysia. Nevertheless, the results of this study can be a benchmark for RMP to be more transparent and fairer in carrying out the task of investigating members in inquiry. Measures to strengthen human resource management such as self-reinforcement training, a more appropriate salary system and the addition of sufficient personnel can avoid cases of misconduct in RMP and increase the level of public trust. Future studies can be further expanded by researchers with the use of diverse methods and the involvement of informants in various enforcement agencies in Malaysia. © 2023 SPIE.