Amar Singh promoted to Commissioner of Police, reportedly the highest rank achieved by a Malaysia Sikh
:dateline:A third-generation policeman, Amar Singh, has been appointed Kuala Lumpur chief police office, moving from federal headquarters at Bukit Aman where he is deputy director of CID.
He replaces Tajuddin Mohamed who moves to federal headquarters to take over from Hamza Taib, who retired as deputy director of Commercial CID on March 14.
Amar Singh was also promoted to the rank of Commissioner of Police, the highest achieved by a Malaysian Sikh, according to the Malaysia Samachar web site.
The highest police rank previously achieved by a Sikh was senior assistant commissioner I when Santokh Singh became Selangor CPO.
Amar Singh�s father and maternal grandfather were both policemen.
His father, Ishar Singh, joined the Federated Malay States Police in 1939 a year after coming to Malaya from Punjab and was a pioneer member of the police jungle squad established during the Emergency, according to a news report. He retired as a corporal in 1971 and died in 1999 at the age of 80.
Amar Singh�s maternal grandfather, Bachan Singh, was a constable who joined the force in the early 1900s. He was reported to have served in Kuala Kubu Baru, Kuala Lipis and Raub, and retired in Klang in the 1940s.
His appointment as Kuala Lumpur police chief was announced on Friday together with several other transfers and promotions.
Amar Singh�s place at CID is filled by the deputy head of Kuala Lumpur police, Law Hong Soon, while the commander of the Federal Reserve Unit, Abdul Hamid Mohd Ali, moves from Bukit Aman to replace Law, Bernama reported.
