No More Belly-fat Cops As 'Biggest Losses' Programme Makes Besut Policemen Lean And Mean

By Mohd Taha Yaacob

JERTIH, Aug 5 (Bernama) -- The height of transformation is on in Terengganu when 28 police officers at the Besut district police headquarters (IPD) shed up to a phenomenal 25 kilogrammes (kg) in a two-month weight loss programme held from early June to July.

Besut police chief Supt Azamuddin Ahmad @ Abu said officers from various divisions had successfully lost weight through the 'Biggest Losses' Body Mass Index (BMI) reduction programme implemented for the first time by the Besut IPD.

“The healthy weight loss was achieved through physical activities such as hill-climbing at Bukit Keluang, walking by the beach, military-style exercise and fitness training, as well as nutritional care which includes cutting oily food and sugary drinks.

“The ideal BMI is not only a requirement for improving work quality but also reflects the image of professionalism of members when carrying out challenging tasks more effectively through the level of physical preparedness as well as increasing public confidence,” he told Bernama after the closing ceremony of the programme at the Gelam Mas Police Quarters here.

Azamuddin said the programme, in collaboration with the Besut District Health Office, showed positive success because although the training and exercises were held only three times a week for two months, the effects were most encouraging.

In January, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution announced that the Royal Malaysia Police will only confirm a promotion if the officer’s BMI is between 28 and 30.

In February, Terengganu police chief Datuk Mohd Khairi Khairudin reportedly said that 40 per cent of 3,900 officers had a BMI that disqualifies them from promotion as the BMI threshold was set at a decent rating of 28.

In Kuala Lumpur, a fitness crackdown was launched after PDRM discovered that some 10 per cent of its 122,000 officers were overweight. That means 11,000 cops were assigned to huffing and puffing through mandatory workouts and calorie-counting diets.

-- BERNAMA