KANGAR, June 5 — Policemen need to strengthen their loyalty to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the Rulers and government, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar.

He said they should also practise a positive work culture in line with the mission and vision of police force with the focus on collective results.

Speaking at a royal banquet in conjunction with the official opening of the Perlis Senior Police Officers’ Mess here last night, Ismail (picture) believed that the police force also imbibed the 1 Malaysia concept through the spirit of “People First, Performance Now”.

“The police force, which is 205 years old now, is always faced with various challenges and tribulations, especially at a time of rapid development in information communication technology.

“If we don’t change, change will overwhelm us, whether we like it or not,” he said.

Ismail said the era of information explosion required the police to drive development via an efficient and effective communication system.

“If this is not successfully implemented, we will have little relevance as an institution,” he added.

The Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail officially opened the RM27 million officers’ mess located on a 2.21ha site, near the Jalan Raja Muda junction. The building was completed in March this year.

The mess complex has a two-storey administrative building, a bungalow, four double-storey houses, 24 accommodation rooms, a banquet hall for 500 people, a meeting room, a sports complex and a surau. — Bernama