KUCHING: The Home Ministry will look into updating the police Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to make handling of firearms stricter.
This may involve police officers turning in their firearms to the station or armoury when they go off duty, said Deputy Home Minister Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar.
This will curb further incidents like the attempted robbery on Monday involving two men armed with pistols and bullets that were found to have been issued to the enforcement agency.
It is bad that lost police property has surfaced as an issue so early in the year, said Wan Junaidi, especially after it was highlighted in the last AG’s report.
“I am disappointed and sad because this happened. An enforcement officer, who is Malay Muslim, was found drunk and had his weapon taken away by others while he was sleeping it off in the car,” he said.
He added that disciplinary action will be taken on those who were careless, especially where firearms are concerned.
“I’m confident that the ministry and the police will not compromise about this matter and will take appropriate action. However, let the police investigate this from every angle first,” he noted.
He told reporters that police officers in the 1970s did not typically carry firearms, until the increase of criminal activities in the 1980s.
“These officers were allowed to bring their firearms home. This should be looked at and studied again so what happened yesterday can be curbed,” he stated.
Wan Junaidi pointed out that there had been a lapse of discipline, and part of the fault lies with the community who take to the keyboard to disagree over the harsh discipline involved in training police officers.
“But it is this kind of training that teaches discipline in the conduct of the police and army. We should know that this will result in a highly disciplined individual. If we relax the discipline, we will get very relaxed officers when they finish training. So don’t criticise training centres for what they do,” he stated.
In his speech for the Maulidur Rasul celebration organised by Kampung Seberang Hilir Safety Committee (Jakaseh) at SK Matu Baru, Junaidi lamented the high number of Muslim youths who are involved in crime or drugs.
He implored parents to look after their children so they will not end up on the wrong side of the law, and not leave it to the teachers alone to build their faith and piety.
Also present at the event were Youth Development Assistant Minister Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, and Pantai Damai assemblyman Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi.
