Police Day and Malays’ contribution

Nazly CASSIM

The Police Commemoration Day fell on March 21, 2012. Every year PC Sahaban's name, appears in the print media on Police Commemoration Day as the first policeman who was killed by, the Lieutenant of Sardiel, on March 21, 1884 at Mawanella.

The great services of the Police Department to the government and the people have to be praised in no small measure. Murderers, robbers, rapists and other criminal activists were promptly arrested, produced in courts and punishment announced. Some cops were top detectives and crimes were solved in no time after they were reported. Though some shortcomings were found in the Police Department during the last decade, it was not functioning to the satisfaction of the people. It was all due to outside pressure.

Lead roles

It went to such an extent of even not recording an entry of a victim, specially owing to outside pressure. The newspapers have been publishing so many criminal, illegal and corrupt matters but how many of these have been successful dealt with by the Police? Further as hasty recruitments were made during the terror period every Tom, Dick and Harry crept into this Department.

Police Day also reminds us of the first Sri Lankan Malay, Police Constable Sahaban sacrificing his life. Malays have been sincerely serving the governments of Sri Lanka, specially in the Police Department.

It has been the dedication, loyalty and bravery of the Malays that have given the Malay a place in the Armed Forces and the Police Force then and now.

The Fire Brigade too in those days had a lot of fire officers, including a chief, who died when donating blood due to the negligence of the nurse in attendance. But there is a hardly a Malay in the brigade now. Even the Prisons Department had a considerable number of Malays and there have been Malay judges, doctors, school Principals etc. particularly serving the state. Also they represented Sri Lanka in various fields of sports playing the lead roles.

Despite being a minority with a population of around 50 or 60,000 Malays, we have been co-existing with all the other denominations in different parts of the island, peacefully and amicably. No other community has ever hurt our feelings or attacked our culture and tradition. No government has so far shown any discrimination to our community and one government offered the opportunity to a Malay to become a senator to look after the interest of the Malay community. We are fortunate to be born in this country and would be happy to make this country our final resting place.

Meritorious service

As far as Colombo is concerned several Malay families lived in Slave Island and most amongst them were in the Armed and Police Forces. Road names like, Malay Street, Java Lane and Justice Akbar Mawatha are evident of this fact. Malays of this generation would have felt sorry for not joining the Armed Forces or Police to serve our motherland and, though there are presently a few, I too seriously feel about it now.

However, I am proud to write that my great grandfather Packeer Samsudeen Police Sergeant No.59 joined the Police Force in 1889 and retired in 1924 after 34 years of service ending up as 1st Class, 1st Grade Sergeant. Imperial Service Medals were awarded to him by His Majesty the King not only for 'long, good and meritorious service, but also for exemplary conduct, zeal and ability in the detection and prevention of crime, and devoted attention to duty'. He was the grandson of Ousman Muthalip who was a private in the Ceylon Rifle Regiment (CRR) and son of Packer Ousman, also in the CRR and retired in 1864 when stationed in Kandy. Further, his brother Packeer Ousman, Police Constable No. 1128 served the Police for 28 years and his son A. Amith PC No. 1809 who served for over 20 years was the nephew of Sergeant Samsudeen. This shows the family had served the government of Ceylon for three generations in the combined services.

The above was extracted from the Ceylon Police Gazette No. 3,758 of July 22, 1925. The names of the following personnel too were mentioned in it.

Amath Packer Ally Police Sergeant No. 598 served for about 32 (20/1/1888) to 24/1/1920). His father C.R. Packeer Ally was a Lance Corporal in the CRR and grandfather Quarter Master Sergeant Cuncheir too was in the CRR. Sergeant Packeer Ally's son A.C. Amath PC No. 2489 too was in the Police Force. Here too generations have proudly served the government of Ceylon. We the Malays are still happy to serve any democratic government of Sri Lanka in any capacity.