About 60 parliament police officers submitted a petition to House Speaker Chuan Leekpai today (Wednesday), to protest against the change of their uniform, claiming that it is a waste of taxpayers’ money because they received their previous newly-tailored uniforms only six months ago.
The same petition was also submitted to the opposition chief whip Sutin Klungsang and a few Pheu Thai MPs, including Khachit Chainikhom, an MP for Udon Thani province.
Khachit told the media that the people who have to wear the new kit don’t want it, while those who ordered the change do not have to wear it.
The existing uniform, which is similar to the standard police uniform, is appropriate, so why try to make it different, said Khachit, adding that a uniform change should have the consent of those who have to wear it.
To solve the problem, the Pheu Thai MP suggested that the new uniform be worn by newly-recruited parliament police for technical affairs, while the other officers should be allowed to wear their old uniform until it needs to be replaced.
There are about 200 police officers taking care of security at parliament. Each is normally issued with two sets of uniform, worth about 5,000 baht each, complete with insignia and other accessories. The cost of the new uniforms is about two million baht.
Last Friday, Democrat MP Issara Sereewatthanawut, an advisor to the House committee charged with drafting an announcement about the parliament police uniform, defended it.
He explained that the need for the new uniform, which is different from the standard one, stems from a group of 122 newly-recruited police for technical affairs, who claim that they cannot wear the current uniform because the regulation does not cover their branch.
So, a panel came up with the idea for a new uniform for this newest group of parliament police, said Issara, adding that other parliament police can use their current uniform until it needs replacing.
