Malaysian police to have image-enhancing slot on national TV

Nov 19, 2008, 1:45 GMT

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia's police force will be given airtime on national television as part of efforts to improve the image of the force in the public eye, a news report said Wednesday.

The move comes in response to growing public discontentment with the police force, widely seen to be inefficient in crime prevention and riddled with corruption and bribery.

Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Chik said the television slots would have advertisements, documentaries and short films depicting the services provided by the police force.

'Jointly we will come up with a strategy to improve the image of the police force in the eyes of the public,' he was quoted as saying by the Bernama news agency.

'The public should give its full support to the police to motivate them further in serving the people and nation,' said Ahmad.

In 2005, a government-appointed commission of inquiry revealed that the country's law enforcers constitute the government's most corrupt department and were guilty of extensive and consistent abuse of human rights.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had pledged to clamp down on abuse of power in the force, but critics have said any improvements made have so far been slow in coming.