Inspector-General of Police calls for Bukit Kepong’s values to be embedded in police work culture to tackle modern, complex security threats like cybercrime and extremism.

MUAR: The legacy of the Bukit Kepong incident must be institutionalised within the work culture, discipline, and transparent decision-making of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).

Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said this is crucial to better manage increasingly complex modern security threats.

He stated the Bukit Kepong incident is not merely a historical footnote but a moral compass intended to guide modern police leadership.

“In the past, security threats were primarily physical and armed,” he said in a speech at the Bukit Kepong Incident Commemoration Ceremony.

“Today, they have evolved into far more complex, cross-border challenges, where technological advancements and globalisation have paved the way for cybercrime and extremism.”

He added that radical ideologies spread via digital platforms and clandestine organised crime networks demand more agile law enforcement.

Mohd Khalid emphasised that national peace requires synergy between PDRM, the community, government agencies, the private sector and media.

“The public should not merely be recipients of services but they are also strategic partners in building a sustainable security ecosystem,” he said.

His speech text was read out by Johor police chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad at the Bukit Kepong Emergency Gallery.

The Bukit Kepong incident was a communist attack on a police station during the Malayan Emergency.

It occurred at 5.30 am on Feb 23, 1950, and resulted in the deaths of 19 police personnel.

 The Sun Malaysia