Following the civil unrest of May 13, 1969, in Malaysia, the government prioritized strengthening the capabilities of security forces to manage large-scale public disturbances. The early 1970s saw a comprehensive review of riot control tactics and the legal frameworks surrounding public assembly.
POMAN 1971 introduced a strict checklist for escalating field tactics during a public disturbance. Frontline units could not bypass these tiers without explicit authorization from the command center:
While often kept confidential due to its tactical nature, references to POMAN 1971 have surfaced, particularly in discussions regarding the procedures employed by the —known in Malay as the Pasukan Simpanan Persekutuan (PSP). public order manual poman 1971
The late 1960s and early 1970s saw a massive global surge in civil unrest, anti-war protests, and labor strikes. Governments worldwide realized that traditional, reactive policing was insufficient to manage large-scale ideological assemblies.
The old manual focused on dispersing crowds; modern guidelines (at least on paper) focus on managing the right to assemble. Public Scrutiny: Following the civil unrest of May 13, 1969,
As a document classified under the Official Secrets Act, POMAN 1971 is subject to strict controls:
Using police lines to split crowds into smaller, more manageable sections (a precursor to modern "kettling"). The Orgreave Controversy Frontline units could not bypass these tiers without
Today, POMAN 1971 is largely a historical artifact, superseded by more transparent guidelines like the College of Policing’s authorized professional practice (APP) on public order. However, its DNA survives in how modern police forces balance the right to protest with the need to maintain public safety.
: Using multi-lingual megaphones and highly visible riot flags to warn crowds to disperse.
The manual contains specific operational instructions, some of which have been cited in official Malaysian parliamentary records: Use of Tear Gas