Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar
KUALA LUMPUR: The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is prepared to consider if the Forestry Department requests for firearms for its personnel for the purpose of surveillance and security control along the country’s border areas.
“If there is justification for it, we will approve the application from the department,” said Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar after a medals presentation ceremony of the Criminal Investigation Department, here, yesterday.
Khalid was asked by reporters to comment on the reported statement by Forestry director-general Datuk Abd Rahman Abd Rahim following the recent discovery of 139 foreign migrant graves and 28 camps at Bukit Wang Burma in Wang Kelian, Perlis, near the Malaysia-Thai border.
Abd Rahman had said that his department needed all the assets and equipment to safeguard the country’s forest areas and it was unfair for the forest rangers to be linked to human trafficking activities as they had no authority to enter the forests in the border area.
On Monday, Khalid announced the discovery of 139 graves and 28 transit camps used to house victims of human trafficking, between Kampung Wai in Kuala Perlis and Tangga 100 at Felcra Lubuk Sireh, a distance of 11 km.
So far, the remains of four people have been removed from the area.
Asked on the need for combat helicopters in safeguarding the Eastern Sabah Security Zone (ESSZone) under the Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCom), Khalid said PDRM would welcome it if the government decided to do so.
“It will be good for ESSCom to provide quick response to security threats,” he said.
At the presentation ceremony, 210 CID officers and other personnel received the honours for their involvement in fighting against encroachment by Sulu militants in Lahad Datu, Sabah two years ago. — Bernama