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 Saturday 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.
Born in Teluk Anson (now Teluk Intan), Perak, Mohammed Hanif received his early education at Anglo Chinese School and the Malay College Kuala Kangsar.
He then pursued his studies at the University of Malaya, Singapore, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1959 before obtaining a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Buckingham, United Kingdom.
Mohammed Hanif’s career journey in PDRM began as cadet assistant superintendent on June 8, 1959, before holding several high-ranking positions, including as the Melaka Police Chief on Sept 7, 1970 and Selangor Police Chief on Dec 6, 1971.
He subsequently assumed the position of Deputy Inspector-General of Police on Feb 1, 1973.
Mohammed Hanif’s dedicated service and contributions to the police force and national security will always be remembered, including his role as the Principal Staff Officer (Police) of the National Operations Council (May 18, 1969) during the May 13 incident.
He was also one of the five police officers who escorted the first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, to the Manila Conference during the establishment of MAPHILINDO in 1963.
The late was also one of the representatives of the Malaysian government in the Peace Treaty signed by the Communist Party of Malaya with the government of Malaysia and Thailand on Dec 2, 1989, in Haadyai, Thailand.
After retiring in January 1994, Mohammed Hanif served as a member of the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operations and Management of the Police (2004-2005), patron of the Yayasan Pengaman Malaysia and president of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (MBRAS).
He was also actively involved in the corporate world, holding several key positions such as chairman of Maxis Communications Bhd and deputy chairman of Genting Berhad and Resorts World Berhad.
