KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 — Tun Mohammed Hanif Omar, the late former Inspector-General of Police (IGP), leaves behind a legacy as the youngest and longest-serving leader of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).
He was appointed the fourth IGP at the age of 35 on June 8, 1974, succeeding Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Hashim who was assassinated by communists.
Mohammed Hanif, 85, who breathed his last at 2.15 am today due to kidney disease, held the position for 20 years before retiring on Jan 15, 1994.
A year into his tenure as IGP, Mohammed Hanif established the elite counter-terrorism unit, the Special Actions Unit (UTK), on Jan 1, 1975, and played a pivotal role in the rescue operation during the AIA building hostage crisis in August of the same year.
Among his notable contributions is the renaming of the Bluff Road Police Station to the PDRM headquarters, Bukit Aman, on March 25, 1975.
On June 8, 1976, Mohammed Hanif announced that all police recruits would serve in the Police Field Force before being assigned to other units, to ensure that every young police officer would be adept in handling any emergency situation after undergoing training in forest environments. — Bernama