JOHOR BARU: The police force will be identifying personnel with high debt in an effort to look into their welfare and prevent abuse of power.

       Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim said this is to assist its personnel such as those from poor households (asnaf) who are facing financial difficulties as a result of high debts.

       “Those from poor households usually earn a low salary and incur high debts due to their children’s education or other untoward incidents.

       “This group of personnel needs to be given attention, especially those staying in areas such as Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru where the cost of living is high. Police duty is sensitive work as it involves power.

       “We do not want these personnel to be exposed to inappropriate situations,” he said at a press conference after handing out aid yesterday to 20 retired policemen who were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

       Mazlan added that the matter has to be refined to help those who are really in need, as there are also police personnel who brought the debts upon themselves by purchasing expensive cars, for example.

       This is part of the law enforcement’s efforts to assist those in the force, he said, adding that retired police personnel are also taken care of through the Police Heritage Trust Fund (TAWP).

       “Many retired and former police personnel are still in the dark about TAWP, which gives out one-off financial assistance through five categories: funeral, relocation, medical, education and disaster relief,” he added.

       TAWP gave out a total of RM1.59mil nationwide from January to May while RM3.81mil was handed out last year.

       Meanwhile, Mazlan said more than two million premises including factories, construction sites, workers’ accommodation and businesses have been inspected under Ops Patuh on standard operating procedure (SOP) compliance.

       He said as at Oct 2, a total of 4,622 premises were ordered to close and RM7,740 worth of compounds were issued to companies and individuals since the operation began on June 25. He added that 14,999 personnel in 3,442 teams are carrying out continuous inspections and monitoring efforts nationwide.

       “We will keep looking for businesses that are operating without an approval letter from the International Trade and Industry Ministry and also those who do not comply with the SOP in general.

       “All parties are advised to keep adhering to the SOP as our objective is to protect the people and ensure their safety during the pandemic,” he said.