FIELD RISKS PROMPT MUALLIM IPD TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE BODY SHIELD PROTECTOR

By Nur Afiradina Arshad

TANJONG MALIM, Jan 23 (Bernama) -- An attack on a policeman by a drunk, mentally ill and armed suspect while on duty prompted the Muallim district police headquarters’ (IPD) ‘T-Malim’ Innovation Team to develop an innovative Body Shield Protector (BSP) to safeguard personnel in the field.

According to Inspector Muhammad Azri Mohd Noah, witnessing his colleagues exposed to the risk of serious injury when they were among the first to arrive at the scenes inspired the creation of the BSP, a special shield designed specifically for use in mobile patrol vehicles (MPVs).

“The MPV unit is the first responder after a complaint is lodged by the public. So when they arrive at the scene, they are often the first to confront suspects, and some of them may be armed with sharp weapons.

“So what our personnel can do at that time is limited, and we can’t tell if the scene will remain calm or become chaotic. If things get out of hand, we have to go get equipment such as FRU riot shields, which takes time, even though the situation is already serious,” he said.

The Behrang Police Station head said the shields were developed following an internal study by T-Malim since 2022, which found that in most cases involving MPVs, the existing shields could not be deployed in time because they were inconvenient to remove from the vehicle’s boot.

Muhammad Azri said several viral incidents highlighted how MPV personnel were confronted by a suspect who ran amok, armed with sharp weapons, sometimes drawing laughter or jokes in the community.

“This shield can protect MPV personnel, up to 90 per cent, giving them confidence to carry out their duties and enhancing the police’s credibility,” he said while stressing that the BSP serves as an alternative rather than a replacement for the FRU shield.

Meanwhile, Inspector Che Rosmasliza Che Abas of the Bukit Aman Traffic Enforcement Investigation Department said the shield was initially distributed to MPV personnel in several districts of Perak for trials.

He added that personnel had given very positive feedback on the shield’s usability, prompting a review and improvements to its physical design to ensure it was of higher quality, cost-effective, and user-friendly.

“Therefore, the BSP 2.0 shield was created to be lighter, easily accessible from the driver’s seat, and tailored for the rapid response of the MPV unit as the first responder. The upgraded BSP 2.0 is now equipped with red-blue strobe lights to distract suspects and a sturdier polycarbonate build.

“In addition, the BSP has successfully passed SIRIM (Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia) safety tests, including resistance to impacts of up to 170 joules, exposure to hydrochloric and sulfuric acids for 48 hours, and protection against both sharp and blunt weapons,” he said.

The Muallim IPD T-Malim team is the sole representative of the Royal Malaysia Police in the Innovathon Season 3 reality programme, organised by the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI).

Selected from more than 2,000 entries, T-Malim was among 56 groups to make it to episode four, ultimately securing fifth place in the competition.

The group, formed in 2016, comprises Sergeant Mohd Rizal Amir, P/Sergeant Mohamad Fazlin Jakiman, Corporal Mohd Razali Rohani, Corporal Nur Hazwani Jamaludin, Corporal M Chandra Kala, and retired police officer Abd Razak Abu. Together, they have developed about eight innovative devices for police use, particularly benefiting the Muallim IPD.

Meanwhile, Mohd Rizal said that all their designs had been featured at the PDRM Innovative and Creative Group (KIK) event, held annually.

“This initiative is also in line with the national MADANI agenda, which emphasises creativity and encourages civil servants to develop innovations that strengthen and enhance the quality of services while carrying out their duties.

“In addition to the shield, we have tools that may seem trivial, such as a whiteboard, which is often used in SAR (search and rescue) operations. If an incident occurs in a remote area, lifting a heavy whiteboard can pose a real challenge.

“The case of the late Mustaqqeem Mansor, 34, found dead at Gunung Liang, highlighted the need for a whiteboard to display SAR strategies and actions. The ‘Portable Disaster Unit’, a lightweight and flexible whiteboard that can be carried on a motorcycle, greatly facilitated mobility and coordination for the rescue personnel,” he said.

Mohd Rizal expressed hope that the homegrown innovation would gain recognition and be widely used by the PDRM, ensuring that every member on duty has proper protection in the most dangerous situations.

“Producing this shield posed a financial challenge for the members of the group, as we had to fund all development costs ourselves without special allocations. Programmes like Innovathon serve as an eye-opener for interested companies or investors.

“Hopefully, it can be commercialised and used not only by the PDRM but also by security personnel and other enforcement agencies,” he said.

--BERNAMA