In a tweet, he said Acryl Sani had an uphill task as the image of the police was at an all-time low.

Santiago said one way to win the hearts and minds of Malaysians was for Acryl Sani to initiate an inquiry into A Ganapathy’s death and ensure an impartial investigation to determine if it was due to abuse while in custody.

“Furthermore, the IGP should initiate the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to act as an oversight body,” he said.

Santiago also said that allegations of political interference by home minister Hamzah Zainudin and the existence of a “dirty cops” cartel must be investigated.

Acryl Sani officially took over as IGP today from Abdul Hamid Bador, whose two-year contract ends today. Hamid was at the handing-over ceremony held at Bukit Aman this morning.

Acryl Sani, 59, was appointed the deputy IGP last August, replacing Mazlan Mansor, who retired after 41 years of service.

He had previously led the Commercial Crime Investigation Department, the Strategic Resources and Technology Department, and the Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department at Bukit Aman.