Home Ministry says police personnel insufficient for nation’s population

KUALA LUMPUR – There are a total of 134,978 police personnel and officers nationwide as of February 28, the Dewan Negara was told today.

Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Anuar Nasarah, however, said the number is seen as insufficient, taking into account the country’s rapid development and population growth.

He said the police manpower shortage was not only due to a lack of staffing but also problems in filling vacancies.

“The Royal Malaysia Police is currently studying the overall optimisation of staffing for the Bukit Aman police headquarters, contingent police headquarters, district police headquarters, and police stations.

“Through the study, the ideal number of staffing for all levels is being identified to ensure that there is no issue of lack of staffing that can interfere with operational effectiveness,” he said when winding up the Budget 2023 debate on behalf of the Home Ministry.

Shamsul Anuar said based on the study, the police force has projected that it needs as many as 4,940 new staff.

In addition, he said the police force has also proposed staffing for police stations according to four categories – A, B, C, and D – determined based on station facilities, population, crime index, number of police reports, number of important targets, and the local economy.

Meanwhile, Shamsul Anuar said a study conducted by the Immigration Department found that the deployment of the Quick Response Team (QRT) at the Sultan Iskandar Building (SIB) and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex (SABC) at the Johor Causeway has successfully reduced congestion, especially during peak hours.

He said the results of the study showed that the QRT was able to increase the number of immigration clearances at a significant rate – an increase of 76% and 40% at SIB and SABC, respectively.

“In addition, a study also found that the waiting period has been reduced to three hours – from four to five hours previously – with the deployment of the QRT and the implementation of the autogate system for Singaporeans,” he said.

The Dewan Negara sitting continues tomorrow. – Bernama, April 4, 2023