Summary by Fifa Rahman, Policy Manager, Malaysian AIDS Council
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This project (the Asia Action project) is funded by the European Union.
- Royal Malaysia Police participants, with course facilitators Tan Sri Mohd Zaman Khan, Fifa Rahman, Geoff Monaghan, and Assistant Superintendent of Police Ng Soon Wah.
In December 2013, the Malaysian AIDS Council hosted a workshop on Police Leadership in Public Health.
Led by Policy Director Fifa Rahman, the workshop highlighted the advantages that harm reduction brings to policing and police officers individually, including reduction of crime, reduction of workload, and increased work satisfaction. Police participants were given the official Needle Syringe Exchange Program (NSEP) Police Standard Operating Procedure document, which all of them said that they had NEVER seen. They were also given the Malaysian AIDS Council report on the Australia Study Tour (Malaysian police officers toured Australia in September). Read the Study Tour Report here.
Co-facilitators included, Tan Sri Mohd Zaman Khan, retired Director of Criminal Investigations, Royal Malaysian Police (RMP), Geoff Monaghan, retired Detective Sergeant, New Scotland Yard and Ng Soon Wah, Assistant Superintendent of Police, RMP.
Key points explained included the benefits to police of providing methadone & ARVs in police custody centres or lockups. Group activities were included discussion on difficult issues such as corruption and extortion from drug users. The sessions elicited some interesting comments from police, such as “When we are corrupt, my heart is not calm” and also that increasing low police salaries could prevent corruption.
Evening problem solving workshop
Based on discussions and feedback from participants and organisers, the Malaysian AIDS Council has concluded that future action points include a roadshow to meet Officers in Charge of Police Stations (OCPDs), and a half day meeting with Senior Police Officers to discuss the Pilot Project on Access to Medicines in Lockup Centres.
Read Geoff Monaghan’s PowerPoint presentations to learn more about police leadership in public health.
1. Police Leadership in Public Health: What do we get
2 Police Leadership in Public Health: Malaysia