RMP College commandant Deputy Comm Yong Lei Choo told Sin Chew Daily that there already is a two-week Mandarin course available for non-Chinese officers to learn simple conversational phrases.

The Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) made the call in a statement yesterday, saying that learning Mandarin would be the right move for the police as it “serves many advantages”.

“MCPF fully supports the move to encourage police officers to learn Mandarin as it will help improve their soft skills and means of communication in our multi-racial and multi-lingual society.

“MCPF has been consistent in advocating the need to improve the service of the police force, including through better communication skills that could be enhanced by learning other languages,” MCPF senior vice-chairman Lee Lam Thye said in a statement yesterday.

He added that aside from improving communication skills, police personnel would be better able to approach the Chinese community.

“Knowing an additional language is an asset not only to the police but all Malaysians,” Lee said, commending the plans to set up the language centre with other languages to be taught too, especially English.