In Abakjr's letter, he said we cannot compare our police to others. There are few things I personally feel that should support some of his comments.

In terms of academic qualifications, our police rank lowly compared to developed countries, and due to this (I agree with Abakjr) they are lowly paid. With this kind of 'peanut' salary, I feel they are not proud to wear their uniform and perform their duties. This is why many of them resort to other means of income, i.e. corruption, to make ends meet.

While all this debate over the insufficiency of combating crime is on-going, I witnessed five policemen (three outriders and two on smaller bikes) 'cari makan' at the Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong and SS2 junction in Petaling Jaya, the noon of Tuesday, July 1, 2003.

They are well-known to hide behind bushes and corners in groups in order to nab unsuspecting motorists violating traffic. Not only are they wasting taxpayers' money, but they are also becoming a nuisance to the public by creating unnecessary traffic jams.

Like it or not, this is the general perception of our police.