A lot has been said about our country's police force. Please allow me to add my piece.

Although plans are afoot to recruit more personnel, the government must be mindful that it is quality and not quantity that counts. Even if 40,000 police officers are recruited (instead of the 4,000), it will not improve the situation at all.

It will only be like the time when the Malaysian police changed its uniform several years back. Though they looked smarter in the new uniforms, their image (what the public perceived) remained unchanged as the police officers' old attitude and habits continued.

To improve the quality of the police force, drastic changes must be considered. For a start, the top man must make way for another more capable person, preferably to be brought in from other departments so as to have a clear and unbiased view.

It is obvious why change must start from the top. In the years since the inspector-general of police is there, the performance and image of the police force has taken a turn for the worse. He must lead by example by handing the baton of command to another to allow the new man prove he can turn things for the better.

With a new man at the helm, this will bring a clear message to the entire police force - shape up or be shipped out. Once every senior officer realises this, they will have no choice but to pull up their socks and buck up.

Gone will be the good old days when senior officers showed bad leadership example by eating breakfast (wearing uniforms) at roadside stalls at a time when they should be working at their desks, parking their cars illegally, threatening those who crossed their paths, etc. Once senior officers start to behave, the rank-and-file would naturally follow suit.

Though there are some good cops around who are conscientious of their duty to the public, given that the majority are questionable (after all, haven't a lot of questions been asked these days in the wake of Canny Ong's murder?), to hire new recruits will only result in the new police officers becoming influenced by their older seniors.

No matter how many are recruited, most will end up with the bad attitude of shirking their responsibilities, playing truant, playing 'football' with citizens who come to police stations to lodge complaints, or worse, abusing their power and joining the corrupted ones in soliciting and taking bribes.

If the citizens carry on regarding police officers in such poor light, no one would dare come forth to offer valuable information that could help prevent or solve crime cases. After all, one cannot help worrying whether the officer is a crook, in cahoots with the crooks.

Drastic changes must be made. Let us hope someone up there realises this and takes the necessary action soon, or Malaysia as a lovely country where people enjoy peace, safety and stability, will in time become a thing of the past.