Overweight due to overwork, say M’sian cops

KUALA LUMPUR — The order to obese policemen to trim the fat or risk not being promoted has hit a raw nerve, with one inspector responding bluntly that they were overworked to the point of obesity.

The inspector in his early 30s, who identified himself only as Musa, said officers like him gained weight due to their hectic work schedule.

“Of course being healthy and fit is crucial as a policeman, but we work almost 24 hours a day sometimes.

“We don’t even have time to rest, let alone have a proper balanced diet.

“We’re overworked to obesity,” the policeman who is based in Sarawak said.

Mr Musa is not alone in his opinion that Bukit Aman was not being fair in penalising obese officers. Other policemen interviewed by The Malaysian Insider said the directive from the federal police headquarters should be applied across the board, including the top brass.

On Thursday (Jan 7), Police director of management Zulkifli Abdullah said overweight policemen will have to undergo a training programme to get fit as obese officers risked not getting promoted or confirmed if they did not lose weight.

He was reported by The Star as saying the force had some 11,000 obese policemen, and that was a “conservative number”.

For a start, 35 chubby policemen have been selected to participate in the pilot weight-loss programme called “Trim N Fit”.

A sergeant from Shah Alam, Rahman Kassim (not his real name) felt the directive should not apply to officers aged over 50 years.

“It is not suitable for old timers like us. It is difficult (to have to lose weight),” said the man, who suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure and gout.

The get-fit programme is more suitable for new or younger cops, he added.

Mr Rahman said the last time he worked out was two to three months ago when he participated in a physical exercise programme.

He said he was no longer thinking about promotions since he was going to retire from the force in another year and a half.

The president of the the Ex-Policemen’s Association of Malaysia, Hassan Yusoff, disagreed, saying the programme should apply to all policemen, no matter the age.

“I remember when I was an OCPD (district police chief), cops in their 50s had no trouble exercising. We work out to have good health. If we don’t do it, we get sick.

“To me, if you are in the police force or the military, you have to exercise and make sure your body is always fit and healthy. That means, you exercise twice a week.

“No matter how old you are, as a policeman you have to maintain your physical health. That is part of staying agile. Without agility, you can’t chase robbers or thieves,” he said.

Mr Musa, meanwhile, said the police should not make exceptions when penalising those who were not fit and healthy.

“The standards and guidelines should be fair and apply to officers of all ranks.

“But the truth is, our top bosses are probably the ones who are obese.

“Are they going to be demoted?” he asked.

He also questioned if the same directive and punishment could be applied to other enforcement agencies.

“There are equally a high number of obese Bomba (fire department) officers,” he claimed.

Mr Musa also raised the issue of understaffing in the Sarawak police department, saying it meant that officers like him had to work long hours to cover the work of two or three persons.

As such, he said, the force could look at staffing problems like they have in Sarawak and other problems plaguing it rather than just pick on obese policemen.

Mr Musa claimed he gained almost 15kg since joining the force three years ago.

The gain, he said, was mainly due to his irregular working hours which resulted in bad eating habits.

Mr Musa is hoping for a promotion this year but he fears his portly, rotund belly could end his dreams.

To overcome obesity in the force, Musa suggested that every policeman, from officers to the rank and file, be made to undergo a health exam every year.

Meanwhile, Penang’s northeast district police chief ACP Mior Faridalatrash Wahid said since the order had come from the top, there was nothing else to do but obey.

“That is the boss’s order. I can’t comment. We cannot do anything about it except follow the order.

“We will think of what we can do to get our men and women fit,” he said when asked how police officers under him felt about the directive.

In September last year, Penang police chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi reportedly told his officers who were overweight to get fit so they could carry out their duties better.

He said a survey found that more than 400 cops in Penang were obese. THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER