Cops suffering from ‘computer phobia’

MIRI: There are police personnel in Sarawak who are suffering from “computer-phobia,” said Sarawak Police Commissioner Datuk Talib Jamal.

He said he had found that a segment of his staff, including seniors and veterans, were afflicted with this “psychological ailment” during his inspection rounds of police stations throughout the state’s 27 districts.

He is worried that this fear of computers would affect the police’s delivery system to the public and may result in financial waste.

“We are trying to implement a better police reporting system in Sarawak. However, during my visits to police stations in the districts, I found police personnel who were actually afraid of using computers.

“I saw boxes of newly-purchased computers left unopened and stacked neatly inside storerooms in police stations.

“The policemen there didn’t know what to do with these computers.

“This cannot be the case. Computers given to all police stations must be used for daily work. We have spent a lot of money to buy computers as part of an effort to modernise the force. We don’t want this project to become a ‘white elephant’,” he said on Friday during the recent three-day meeting with police chiefs and cops from throughout the state here.

Talib said the state police headquarters will arrange for comprehensive training programmes on computers at the district levels in an effort to cure this computer-phobia.

He assure his staff that technical support would be given to maintain the computers to ensure that they are in good working condition for a long time.

“Jangan takut, ia takkan meletup (Don’t be afraid, they will not explode),” he teased his men.