GEORGE TOWN: Recent parliamentary assurances that Malaysia’s police recruitment process is free from racial bias have reignited debate over representation within the police force.

Senior criminologist Datuk Dr P. Sundramoorthy said, with non-Bumiputera officers accounting for just 5.5 per cent of the force— compared with Chinese Malaysians at roughly 23 per cent of the population and Indians at seven per cent — the imbalance raised deeper concerns about legitimacy, inclusiveness and public confidence in policing.

He said in a diverse society, police legitimacy rested not only on effective enforcement but also on public perceptions of fairness and impartiality.

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“When major communities are significantly underrepresented, trust can erode, crime reporting declines and cooperation weakens.

“Representation is not tokenistic, it embeds policing within the social fabric and signals that the institution belongs to all Malaysians,” he told the New Straits Times today.

He was responding to the assurance by police to the Dewan Rakyat that their appointment and promotion processes were free from any form of discrimination.

Sundramoorthy said that although the police leadership had acknowledged the gaps and increased outreach to minority communities, proposals to ease specific physical or academic requirements exclusively for non-Bumiputera applicants had drawn caution.

“While intended to broaden participation, such ethnic-targetted adjustments risk sparking resentment, reinforcing perceptions of bias and inviting questions about merit.

“Lowering standards can stigmatise recruits or compromise the discipline and analytical capacity required for modern policing.

“Instead, address the long-standing perceptions that deter minorities from joining — ranging from concerns about career progression to unfamiliarity with police work.

“Strengthening engagement in schools, expanding community liaison programmes and improving visibility of diverse role models within the force are seen as more sustainable strategies,” he added.

Sundramoorthy said representation challenges also extended beyond ethnicity.

He said women remained underrepresented in senior policing roles despite their proven strengths in victim support, de-escalation and community engagement.

He argued that expanding leadership pathways, ensuring equal access to specialised training and nurturing female officers for command roles would strengthen the force’s operational breadth.

Sundramoorthy said Malaysia’s religious diversity further demanded officers who could navigate cultural practices and sensitive community issues.

He said broader religious representation, combined with regular cultural competency training, could help prevent misunderstandings and deepen trust during community policing.

“As crime increasingly moves online, modern policing requires expertise in cybercrime, digital forensics, transnational syndicates and data-driven intelligence.

“This shift opens opportunities for Malaysians with disabilities who possess strong analytical or technical skills.

“Many global agencies now integrate civilian specialists into cyber units and intelligence divisions — a model that boosts operational effectiveness while affirming that national security is a shared endeavour,” he said.

Sundramoorthy said, ultimately, representative policing was not merely an aspirational ideal but a cornerstone of legitimacy and social cohesion.

“A police force that reflects Malaysia’s ethnic, gender, religious and ability diversity will be better positioned to command trust, enhance cooperation and deliver fair, effective policing across all communities,” he stressed.

This article first appeared on NST.