Police logos displayed on private cars must be removed immediately so as not to cause public confusion.
The head of the State Traffic and Public Order, Superintendent Najmi Mustaffa, issued this statement as the department has been receiving a lot of complaints from the public about the misuse of the logos on private vehicles.
“Even the State government has voiced this matter.
“So we clarify that using police logos on private cars, whether in miniatures or in the form of stickers, is an offence,” he told reporters at a press conference here yesterday.
He said orders will be given out to all district police chiefs regarding this matter and individuals found displaying the logos on their vehicles will be asked to remove them immediately.
If they refused, then action would taken against them action under the Police Act.
Quoting a part of the Act, Najmi said: “Any person using any symbols without the permission from the authority, illegally using and displaying any badge or signs to show that he or she is part of the police force is susceptible to a fine or jail sentence.”
The minimum fine is RM500, and imprisonment is not more than six months.
Najmi stressed that the logo can only be displayed on police vehicles.
Even police officers are not allowed to display them on their private vehicles without permission.
Retired police officers were also not allowed to display the logo on their vehicles because they were no longer in the force, he said.
“There are several reasons why people use the police logo on their vehicles. Some use them to avoid detection and get through road blocks,” he said.
He said only certain shops are registered and authorised to issue the logo. To obtain it a person must show his or her registered authority card.
“Somebody must be selling the logo. We will monitor the shops selling them,” he said.
He said so far there were no cases of people using the logo to commit crime, but the possibility that the logo could be misused did exist.
He said the move to warn the public about the logo was the first step in controlling its misuse.
If the warning is not effective, the force will have to take other more effective steps.
“I urge those who know about the illegal sales of the logo to the public to report the matter to the nearest police station,” Najmi added.
bp 18/01/08
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