On May Day, I went to the Dang Wangi district police headquarters upon receiving information that several marchers at the people's peace march had been arrested.

I was astonished to see the main gate closed. A police officer named Mustaffa informed me that I was to get permission to come into the station and had to enter via the back gate. I presume this came about when I stated that my business was to see those detained at the peace walk.

I located a back gate at the public car park behind the station. It was not manned and thus impossible to get the required permission to enter. The point is I fail to understand the orders given to the gatekeeper to refuse entry to members of the public to the station.

I think it was intended to intimidate the public and perhaps to instil a fear of the power of the police in this country.

When I was inside the station I could see that several family members and supporters of the May Day rally marches had given up trying to enter by the back gate, so they waited at the bus stop across the police station. However, the police allowed entry at the main gate to those wanting to pay their parking fines.

While inside the station I noticed several Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) posters with the bersih, cekap dan betul (clean, efficient and correct) slogan splashed across them. In one poster, there were pictures of past police chiefs. It included the face of one Rahim Noor. I am surprised at this because Rahim was found guilty of a crime by our High Court.

Here, he was  in full uniform and glory  on a PDRM poster paid for by workers and taxpayers. I would think being a banduan (prisoner) and penjenayah (criminal)  these, I believe, being legitimate terms for criminals under our system for the administration of criminal justice  his picture should not be there. It brings disrepute to the whole police force.

I hope the proper authorities would see to this because we cannot have criminals in police clothing as 'poster boys' in the visitors' area in our police stations. At the very least, it would affect our tourism industry. Tourists might think we are indeed truly a banana republic!