TRAINING MODULES FOR SECURITY COMPANIES, AUXILIARY POLICE TO BE IMPROVED - SAIFUDDIN

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 10 (Bernama) -- Training modules for security guards and auxiliary police will be improved to ensure they are aligned with current potential threats, especially in public places.

This follows the shooting incident at a shopping mall in Shah Alam last Saturday.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), which is responsible for training security guards and auxiliary police, will look into the details of this matter.

“Before auxiliary police or security guards begin their duties, it is a requirement that they are trained by the police force.

“Incidents like this (the shooting at the shopping mall) provide us with a new perspective. It is time to update the training modules and syllabuses and enhance the training requirements for them.

“I will ask the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain and his Deputy, Datuk Seri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, to look into this to ensure better security at business complexes and public areas,” he told reporters after the Ministry of Home Affairs (KDN) monthly assembly here today.

Saifuddin also said that he would ask the relevant officers to hold discussions with the security industry to improve the necessary training modules.

“The aim is to ensure that we address the public's concerns, especially regarding safety in public places,” he said.

Meanwhile, Saifuddin gave assurance that the safety of the public and the country remains the ministry’s top priority, and that there is no need for panic following the recent shooting incident.

He said that the PDRM’s level of preparedness is always at its best, which was proven when they managed to identify the shooting suspect in a short period of time.

“Not only did we identify the suspect, but we also discovered that he had a criminal record,” he said.

The minister said that the ministry is also aware of the public's concerns regarding the possession of firearms and emphasised that the licensing process is very strict and requires thorough security screening.

“No Malaysian citizen can possess a firearm except through proper licensing. Possessing a firearm without a licence is a serious criminal offence,” he said.

Last Saturday, the media reported a shooting incident at a shopping mall in Setia Alam which resulted in an injury to a cleaning worker.

Yesterday, Bukit Aman CID director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain, said that the police had identified the suspect involved in the incident, a local man in his 30s.

He added that further investigations and efforts to track down the suspect are actively being conducted by the Selangor police with assistance from Bukit Aman.

-- BERNAMA