Manual Poman 1971 — Public Order

For every police commander, it offered a path to discipline and restraint. For every activist, it was a map of surveillance and suppression. And for every citizen, it remains a question: Who decides what “order” means, and what force is justified to protect it?

The stands as a foundational, albeit restricted, document in the history of policing and civil order in Malaysia . Issued by the Home Office and the Metropolitan Police (with significant application within the Royal Malaysia Police - PDRM), this manual was designed to guide law enforcement agencies in managing public assemblies, potential riots, and disruptions to public order.

The manual famously begins with a chillingly practical definition of public order: “Public order is not the absence of disturbance, but the continuous management of potential energy within a crowd.” public order manual poman 1971

The manual dictated that police should only use the amount of force strictly necessary to achieve a specific security objective. Once order was restored, force was to be discontinued immediately.

The early systematic gathering of "intelligence" on protest leaders and "ringleaders" to anticipate movements before they occurred. Legal Framework: The 1971 Act For every police commander, it offered a path

POMAN 1971 outlined a strict hierarchy of response, often referred to as a force escalator:

The management of crowds, civil unrest, and public demonstrations has undergone a massive evolution over the last several decades. At the heart of this historical transformation lies the , a foundational doctrinal document that fundamentally reshaped how police forces, particularly in Commonwealth jurisdictions and British-influenced policing models, approach riot control and crowd management. The stands as a foundational, albeit restricted, document

While specifically in the context of the UK, the Public Order Manual of Tactical Operations and Related Matters was a pivotal, though often confidential, document that provided comprehensive instructions for police officers. Public Order (Protection of Persons and Property) Act 1971

By the late 1970s, civil lawsuits began citing POMAN as the blueprint for "unlawful mass arrests." In a famous 1979 case, a federal judge noted that police had followed POMAN "to the letter," but that the letter itself violated the First Amendment’s guarantee of assembly.

Tactical training academies still use its diagrams. Commanders still whisper "I.C.E." when the crowd surges. The manual is no longer in print, but photocopied sections live in the ring binders of every riot squad sergeant in the country.