KUALA LUMPUR: In natural progression, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has been named Tan Sri Ismail Omar’s successor to the top cop post.

The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement confirming this today.

Ismail turns 60 on Friday and will be retiring.

Khalid is from Seremban and had undergone training as an inspector at the Police Training Centre on Dec 5, 1976.

The 55-year-old was appointed Kedah Anti-Narcotic Department chief in 1997 before being made Pahang Police Management Department head in 2003.

He assumed the position of Kuantan OCPD following that posting.

By 2005, he was appointed police chief for Negeri Sembilan before being made Bukit Aman police headquarter’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) deputy director.

In June 2007, Khalid was named Selangor police chief. In October 2010, he was made director of Bukit Aman’s Internal Security and Public Order Department before assuming the post of Deputy IGP.

Bukit Aman CID director Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Mohd Zinin, the statement said, will take on the role of Deputy IGP.

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on May 15, 2013.