Achieving key performance indicators (KPIs

Achieving key performance indicators (KPIs)

Chairman of Gerakan’s Environment, Security and Quality of Life Bureau

Dr Cheah Soon Hai

28 July 2009

Gerakan welcomes Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s latest announcement on the key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets set under the six National Key Result Areas (NKRA).

Dr. Cheah Soon Hai, Chairman of Gerakan’s Environment, Security and Quality of Life Bureau said that these indicators and targets were important especially in the key result areas of crime prevention and combating corruption, as peace and security and good governance is tremendously necessary to maintain the well being of the nation.

“The government will however have to set its mind to achieving these targets and to foresee possible arising issues.”

Dr Cheah said that the government’s intention to cooperate with RELA and Rukun Tetangga was good as it could help provide extra manpower to the police and also include the public in its effort to reduce crime.

“However there must be clear demarcation of functions and duties. RELA in particular, there must be mechanisms to ensure that there is no abuse of power and uncontrolled use of discretion.”

“One of the things that should be looked at also is to try to increase the number of personnel in the police force. While RELA, the Civil Defence Department and uniformed bodies can help support the police, there is also the more important need to increase the number of police personnel as they form the core group in fighting crime,” he said.

“In terms of combating corruption it is good that the government intends to improve global perception. To do this the government could perhaps look at the systems and policies that other countries employ to eliminate corruption. We can use them as models on which to formulate our policies and procedures.”

He added, “In addition, the government must also include harsh punishments for those found guilty of corruption as one of the key focus in its policies. We have to show people that corruption is abhorred and immoral.”

“Crime and corruption are important issues that matter the most to the man in the street and this is necessary to win over the people. The government has taken the right step in focusing on these two areas and by setting a time frame it shows that the government is serious and has the political will to address these issues. This is important as there is public perception that the government is merely making announcements without having taken any concrete actions,” he further said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak recently announced that the key performance indicators for fighting crime are to reduce street crime, including snatch thefts and unarmed robbery by 20% by the end of 2010, re-train Rela members to help improve public perception on safety, upgrade equipment for enforcement agencies and increase the usage of CCTV and to set up special courts for street crime to speed up the legal process while for combating corruption to update relevant policies, procedures and enforcement to improve global perception and to use open or restricted tender process for all government projects with the exception of those sensitive in nature.