I refer to Leong Yat Koh's letter 'IGP must answer for police incompetence '.

I fully agree that the police must be radically reformed on two areas, namely (1) crime-combat-capability and capacity, and (2) de-politicisation and de-partisanisation.

I am also in complete agreement with him that the head of the IGP must roll to serve as a warning to all levels of the police force, to pave the way for reform.

To be more constructive, may I suggest that besides increasing the number of police personnel to enhance crime-combat capability and capacity, the pay and allowances of the police be increased as well.

There is also a pressing need for our police to be professionally trained in advanced and developed democracies like the US, UK and Australia so that they can acquire more sophisticated knowledge and skills (but before this can be done, the English proficiency of the police must also be enhanced).

The police force must also be multi-lingual and multi-cultural enough to be sensitive in a multi-ethnic society. Moreover, only a multi-lingual police force can hope to manage crimes committed by different linguistic groups more effectively. For example, I really cannot imagine how a Malay-predominated police force can investigate the allegations of Chinese triad links (whose leaders and members probably speak Cantonese, Hokchiew or Hakka, or use secret codes that are based on dialects) in a major ruling party.

However, an equally important and pressing reform is de-politicisation and de-partisanisation of the police force. It means, first and foremost, curb the power and properly define the roles and functions of the Special Branch, and its relations with the Criminal Investigation Department, counter-intelligence and military intelligence.

As it is now, the Special Branch seems to be involved in everything from serious crimes to assisting a faction of Umno to overthrow another or help the Barisan Nasional to suppress or obstruct the activities of legitimate opposition parties.